White butterflies?

[growingkasbar]

When i went out to my veggies this morning, there were 3 white (i think they are called cabbage) butterflys on my brussel plants. Do this cause harm, and if so how do i keep butterflys away?

[rustylady]

The butterflies themselves don't harm the plants, but they lay eggs on the leaves - these develop into caterpillars which will strip the leaves off the plant by eating them. You can net the plants with fine mesh netting, or you can check the leaves daily for eggs (small bright yellow laid in clusters on the underside of the leaves). If you find any scrape them off with a fingernail.

[growingkasbar]

Thanks rustylady, ill check for them!

[SarzWix]

Yes, they are 'cabbage white butterflies', there's a large type and a small type. Their caterpillars will strip the leaves of any type of brassica - cabbages/broccoli/brussels/kale/swedes etc. One type lays single eggs, the other type lays clusters. The best way to ensure your brassicas avoid the attentions of the butterflies is to cover them with netting over a frame/cloche hoops or fine mesh. Netting needs to be held away from the plants so that the butterflies can't just poke their bum through the holes and lay on the leaves... The fine mesh (enviromesh) also keeps out cabbage root fly.
If you don't cover the plants, you'll need to inspect them regularly for eggs and caterpillars. I think you can get a nematode to spray caterpillars with, but it doesn't work on any hidden in the depths of the plants. Otherwise it's just a case of squishing them, or pick them off and feed them to the birds!

[deezyb]

i've got my brocolli covered with netting, but sometimes the leaves get eggs laid on them as the butterflies land on the netting and manage to lay eggs! Having been caught out before with my sprouts a couple of years ago, I religiously check the brocolli daily! Trying to keep damage to a minimum and holding my breath in the meantime!!!

[Two_Sheds]

sometimes the leaves get eggs laid on them as the butterflies land on the netting and manage to lay eggs!

Yes, I think they are evolving ... and how now learned to "squirt" their eggs through netting

[growingkasbar]

Oh yeah, when i went to look there were loads of eggs on my brussels and also a ton of whitefly eggs. And black eggs on my pumpkins! It was horrible had to spend an hour out there squashing eggs. Yuck!!

[deezyb]

yes not good, but kinda worth it in the long run?? hope so!

[gardendancer]

I have a follow up question if I may

I check for eggs every day as we have quite a few butterflies in the garden, but if I'm going away for a week, will that give the eggs time to hatch?

[SarzWix]

Cabbage caterpillar and moth pest control

5 days to hatch according to the above link! Might be a good idea to cover the plants before you go if you can, or be prepared for a long session picking off caterpillars when you get back