caterpillars

[HELEN88]

Hi,

Just wondering if someone could help me, I have loads of caterpillars on my brassicas and i got a bug killer spray and how does the spray work? Does it work on contact? so they can be sprayed and left or do they have to be sprayed and removed from the plant?

Thanks

[Nannysally99]

I think you spray, they die and drop off the plants. I just pick off the caterpillars and stick them on the bird table , or rather my husband does this job lol

[Kristen]

how does the spray work? Does it work on contact?

You'll need to check the instructions as it could be a contact-spray (only kills the ones that the spray touches) or "systemic" in which case you can spray the plant (and any caterpillars you happen to see) and when the caterpillar eats the plant it will ingest poison that will kill it. Systemic chemicals tend to last for a couple of weeks, so you only have to spray intermittently, whereas contact sprays you need to repeat more frequently.

Your call as to how comfortable you are with chemicals on your plants - the ones you can buy are far less potent than the ones that farmers use - but many folk that grow their own try to do without, or only minimal usage.

Cabbage White Butterflies can be deterred by using fine netting (old net curtains, scaffolders debris netting, or proprietary netting like Enviromesh), or rubbing the eggs off (they are laid in clusters, under the leaves, and are easy to rub off 0 they take a few days to hatch, so checking twice or three times a week at most is fine. Finally you can pick the caterpillars off - not a job for the squeamish though!

[skeggijon]

I've been thinking about using a spray myself. Thought my cabbages etc were well covered, but the pesky blighters found a way in somehow and I can't keep up with the caterpillar squidging

[Two_Sheds]

I have loads of caterpillars on my brassicas

Yes, you will have unless you cover them with netting. When the caterpillars have gone, the woodpigeons will move in to eat whatever's left, and you can't spray against pigeons