White Cabbage Moth help

[Borored]

For the last 3 years this moth and its illegitimate offspring have wiped out at least one of my crops. I'm planning on putting peas in again this year after vowing never to do so again as the WCM has defeated me at every past attempt. I've always been vigilant but as you all know it only takes a couple of days away and you have a caterpillar farm.
Any tips for my rematch with the undefeated white champion?

[Stacey Steve]

Army ants with anti aircraft guns?

Personally for vunerable crops, I use hoop cloches with scaffold netting over them.

Still get the occassional invader that manages to find a gap, or lay eggs through the netting on plants that touch the netting, but by and large a great sucess for me

[kathyd]

I agree, I use debris netting too, especially after the caterpillars last year. I even normally remember to stitch together the big gaps where they join the pieces together, otherwise stuff just crawls through them.. hmmm. Is your problem with peas or brassicas? I'm a bit confused by the wording in your post - 'cabbage moth' but planting peas - or does the cabbage moth attack peas too? And is the moth the same as the butterfly?? Lol

I'm also trying out drenching everything (especially brassicas) with a really stinky garlic solution this year - so far the ones I've ponged haven't been eaten by slugs... I guess the smell could confuse other beasties too?

I also read somewhere that cabbage white butterflies tend to go for yellow and blue-green colours, so if you plant red and pink flowers amongst them that can confuse them. And also that the butterflies test each plant to make sure there are enough around to feed their babies, so planting other plants amongst them can put them off. I must admit I've not tried that one yet though.

[Thelma Sanders]

Large and small cabbage white butterflies lay their eggs on brassicas, keep them off with fine netting -I use debris netting.

pea moth is what lays eggs on peas (surprise surprise ) and you can cover the peas with fleece or enviromesh while they are flowering, keeping the pods maggot-free.

[Two_Sheds]

the WCM has defeated me at every past attempt.

Cabbage White butterfly attacks brassicas (and nasturtiums).

Pea moth is the one whose maggots get in your peas.

In both cases, you need to use fine-guage mesh netting