Question
Late last summer I realized that my flowering plum was being devoured by some type of caterpillar (i think!) that was about 1/2 inch to an inch long.  The plum lost all of its leaves and the caterpillars were everywhere!  They then moved on to my pink flowering almond and I had a hard time saving that one due to the sheer number of pests.  I also noticed a few on my purple coneflowers but were able to remove those.  My question is what were these and how to I prevent them from returning?  I want to redo my front bed this year where these plants are all located.  Are these plants susceptible to these again?  Is there anything I need to do to prep the bed for new plants going in it?  I could not believe how fast the caterpillars spread and am worried for my front bed this year.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you so much!!!

Answer
Eric:
There are a lot of caterpillar types that feed on the leaves of our plants.  There are a few insecticides that are effective for many types of caterpillars such as SEVIN or Bt ( Sold as Dipel or Thuricide names).  The Bt is a biological material.  Check in with your local garden center/nursery for the most appropriate material to use on the fruit trees. If you use these, you will need to spray the entire plant.  Coverage is important as well as timeing.  Be sure to read the label on the container.
Steve