Catapillers!!!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

Yesterday I removed the single catapiller from my brussel sprouts and carefully re homed it, checked everything else and no friends about.

TOnight half my kale has gone with 30 + beasties that I could see and 1 back on the b sprouts aghhhh!!

Searched the site and found the salt water method and went out and sprayed A LOT. GOing back an hour later and they are still munching away.

How long does this method take? I used 2 tablespoons of salt to 4 pints of water?

Thanks guys, Mandy

[sewer rat]

Dunno Mandy, but the trouble is the salt water won't kill any eggs that are on the plants, so in time, there will be more caterpillars who might , knowing nothing else, develop a taste for salty leaves. What a depressing thought. Sorry

[Alice]

Sorry Mandy, I think it's a chemical spray (soon) or your crops are gone. I think it's a question of do you want to eat them (chemicals and all, everything from the supermarket is well sprayed) or do you want to abandon the project and let the critters eat them. Your choice here.

[Two_Sheds]

bite the bullet, squash them, eggs too. or, pick off and drop in salty water. no rehoming nonsense! put the drowned corpses on your compost heap. Be prepared to repeat every few week at least.
Have you netted your brassicas? I have, but the butterflies/moths always get in thru the holes, or poss.crawl underneath, commando style.
I am getting so cross now, that I am trying to catch Cabbage Whites in the air, and pull their ruddy wings off ...

...so sue me!

[heebiejeebie]

It is a bit irritating to see a cabbage white fluttering about inside the netting!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi All,

Thanks for your advice. They are netted and have been sprayed regularly with rubarb spray.

Don't like the idea of chemicals but it may come to that as I am not losing everything!

No way I could squash them I could try to drown them just drop them in and run and repeat every week?

I think i will drown first and then look at sprays. The kale is the worst affected and the hardest to see them on so maybe I will pull that up.

Thanks again, Mandy

[Madasafish]

Squashing caterpillars is faster and a less painful death than drowning.. so if you have any inhibitions on cruelty to bugs, squashing is THE way to go. Fast. Less than 1 seconds versus drowning for minutes.

Some people are awfully cruel in their "kindness":-))


I keep mine and put them on the birdtable for the birds....

[The Doctor]

Last year I decided I wouldn't use a chemical spray, and made regular sorties with a pair of scissors to snip any I found in half. I must have got hundreds, but it still wasn't enough, I didn't get to eat a single cabbage, and only two cauli's.

This year I'm using finer netting ove the top of the brussels and fleece at the sides, and so far it seems to be working. You must make sure that the leaves don't touch the netting or the butterflies will just lay eggs through it.

The other thing I have is a badminton racket. Works great as an 'anti-aircraft' weapon, and it gives my son something to do when he gets bored!

[mandyballantyne]

Hi,

Maddasafish, I agree with the drowning taking longer, just don't hink I could squash them. I would feel really bad, prbably feel guilty about the drowning too. I MUST BE BRAVE!

Doctor, I know what you mean about the racket I have been swing my spade at the little buger since it first arrived

Off to check on them now, anyone got a receipe for kale flavoured catapillers

Mandy

[Cutecumber]

I recommend a long-handled net, bought from the seaside.

Catch the butterfly and put the net on the ground - quickly despatch the creature with a foot.

I too feel awful doing this, but I have worked hard to get this food and I reckon it's a fair fight as I'm not very good with the net and most of them escape!

[mandyballantyne]

OK, the deed is done for today and I feel sick! I have never killed anything in my life!! I have also resorted to a spray as well which claims to be wild life friendly. Spent ages at the garden centre and bored a guy to death saying I can use that due to the bees, baby toads etc etc.

So cut off affect leaves and dispposed of the bodies and eggs (not sure what creepy they were so hope not a good one) and went for a light spray.

Will go back to check again later to see if there has been any other visitors. Also one cabbage white caught in shed, 2 more to go!!

Thanks for your support everyone, Mandy

[Alice]

Hope you can save your crop Mandy.

[borage]

I am not happy spraying chemicals but I got fed up with squashing catapilers on my cabbages and resorted to a chemical spray. Next year I will definately net the cabbages.

[JennieAtkinson]

Good luck Mandy. After losing just about everything last year to caterpillars, I spent the money and bought enviromesh this year. Then made some hoops from left over water hose and both are working a treat. It was alot of work, but so pleased it is working so well.

I did plant some nasturtiums nearby so the caterpillars could have a bit of a treat!

[Cutecumber]

Mandy - if you are able, try and sow an early crop of quick-growing brassicas - start them in February under cover. All being well, by the time these are ready to pick, the butterflies won't yet have appeared - in my patch, they don't come until after midsummer. it is only now that I am getting caterpillar problems on my brassicas which will be picked in the autumn and winter. I realise that you are somewhat further North than me, but you may still be able to get an earlier crop.

You will need to grow smallish varieties of cabbage or cauliflower, or calabrese which is pretty quick, but it will give you a few caterpillar-free crops.

Always remember to protect from root fly, whenever you sow, and expect the unexpected!