Cabbage White's

[Sebbster]

I would like to know please when do cabbage whites stop laying eggs.

I ask this as I want to plant out my spring cabbage but would like to avoid netting. Call me lazy but I dont know when the whites will stop laying, especially with the strange years weather.

[JennieAtkinson]

I was wondering this too Sebbster as I would like to take my netting off!

[veg4681]

Me too, lazy about netting and all that. I haven't really noticed white butterfly about lately, in fact for a long while now. Does this makes overwintering brassica less troublesome with pesky egg-laying butterflies?

[Snadger]

Pigeons get hungrier over winter!

[shirlthegirl43]

Plenty cabbage white's still fluttering by in my garden

[lainey lou]

Still lots at my lottie too, removing eggs every few days, must have missed a few though, found some right juicy catterpillers yesterday! Kids wont let me squash them so they end up in the compost bin!

[The Doctor]

I haven't seen anywhere near as many this year as I did last, and put it down to the wetter weather.

I have a badminton racket I let my son loose with if I do spot any, and a pair of scissors for the caterpillars if he doesn't get the butterflies!!

[blackcatlois]

I think I read somewhere that they're mostly all gone by October

[Cutecumber]

They will keep flying for a month more round here. We are having a lovely warm spell and it has brought them out.

If you don't use mesh, just keep checking them regularly and squash what you find. It's not difficult, but make sure you've got the right glasses on!

[Two_Sheds]

yep, all the northern butterflies have flown down south, stopping off on my plot I'd say. Hundreds of 'em

[rustylady]

Oh yes, the cabbage whites are still around. Saw several of the little darlings on the lottie at the weekend. Also lots of pretty ones, but let's face it they all make caterpillars so netting is a really good idea.

[JennieAtkinson]

Given the gale force winds we've had today, probably not alot left up here. Still more coming your way Two Sheds!! Thinking about it, erm.... its a southerly wind, so yours are probably winging their way back here again..............

I suppose I could get the mesh off and do a check each day for eggs. I didn't realise how large cabbages grew and unfortunately my pipe structure under the netting is a little small in height and so the netting is really holding back the cabbages.

[Sebbster]

I am still seeing Cabbage Whites and am picking off the eggs / caterpillars. It's a pain though as I have so many brassicas in the plot at the moment.

One of my projects for the winter is to sort this out with some sort of structure....

[vegnut]

Still loads around down here. Here's a thought. If the brassicas are touching the netting, then wouldn't the whites be able to lay their eggs through the net. How effective is yours ?

[Cutecumber]

yes, they will easily lay through netting unless it is the very fine "enviromesh" type. There is a compromise - "butterfly netting" which had around 1cm squares. If this is kept well away from the leaves, it is reasonably effective.

Remember, though, that it isn't just cabbage white butterflies that lay - some smaller moths are also responsible.