Caterpillars at this time of year????????

[minskey]

Hi All,
Got up this morning to let the chooks out & noticed one of my greyhound cabbages was looking a little like a lace curtain, they were fine last night; low and behold there were lots of little black and green hairy small catterpillers on it and rapidly traveling along the lines of the cabbage patch! I sprayed I'm afraid to say, didn't want to use chemicals but just cannot grow any brassicas here at all otherwise.
I honestly thought that in October I would be 'safe'

[Two_Sheds]

I honestly thought that in October I would be 'safe'

why?
The butterflies will be active until it gets too cold for them ... they are still fluttering about round here, laying eggs like there's no tomorrow

[zazen999]

i sprayed my brassicas with a particularly strong chilli and garlic mix about 6 weeks ago; and absolutely no sign of any caterpillars since. a bit of whitefly but I'll spray again in a week or so and keep spraying as during winter it's whitefly that get mine.

[FionaH]

Zazen is there a recipe anywhere for your chilli and garlic mix? Im not sure how strong to make it. In the last few days Ive had turnip sawfly and green caterpillars.

[Two_Sheds]

Garlic & Chilli spray

Blend 4oz of crushed garlic cloves & chopped chillies, 1 pint of water and 2tsp of soap (Use potash based soft soap that is used for washing dishes and not the modern washing powders that contain caustic soda which will harm plants).

Mix well. Strain the mixture through a fine cloth (muslin or old tights).

Dilute the solution in 1 gallon of water.

For best effect, use the mixture immediately.

[FionaH]

Thanks for that

[minskey]

OooH! Two Sheds,

I was thick enough to think they would know it was autumn & I thought summer [even though it never started] was over

[minskey]

Time for me to go & get some garlic & chillies..................

[Two_Sheds]

I was thick enough to think they would know it was autumn & I thought summer [even though it never started] was over

Well over here it's actually warmer than it has been all 'summer'.
We have been absolutely plagued with Cabbage Whites this year. Our autumns are warm now, which is good for these pests.

[allotmentlady]

LOL, yesterday whilst collecting sprouts, we saw caterpillars on our rhubarb patch!!! They must be waiting to see in Christmas.............my OH says they have until then to move on..........he has no idea......they will have gone by the end of today!

[lynda66]

i found one climbing my bathroom door the other day, have no idea where that came from

[allotmentlady]

i found one climbing my bathroom door the other day, have no idea where that came from

it just wanted a view of you in the bathroom lol!

[sewer rat]

I found a live one yesterday when I was picking Tundra cabbages for my boxes - still alive and full of beans (or cabbage ), but was sent to meet the great Flutterby in the sky - you woud think that with the cold snaps we've had so far this winter we'd have seen the last of them - must be cosy inside my cabbages !!

[Two_Sheds]

I found a frozen one!
and several little tiny ones on my indoor plants: chillies and impatiens