Caterpillar Control

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Arnie
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Hi Everyone,

As there have been a hell of a lot of cabbage whites about :evil: I have a feeling that I will be in need of some sort of control, could any of you recommend a good spray or any other method of control please :)

Regards

Arnie :wink:
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peter
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Derris?
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Arnie
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Peter,

I thought Derris was banned :evil:

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Arnie
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peter
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It's what I've got in my shed. :?
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Beryl
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I've still got some Derris liquid left, only use it when absolutely necessary but it is on the discontinued list. You shouldn't be able to buy it now.

Beryl.
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Motherwoman
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Not sure you should be able to use it either now.

Borrow a small child and give them a bucket of salty water to teach the caterpillars to swim...

But seriously I think there is nothing much left we can use that's effective, probably why most people net their brassicas now. I gave up growing brassicas a few years back. I'd rather have loads of beans various and jars of tomato pulp and buy cabbage when I need one.

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Shallot Man
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I have started walking up the row, squeezing the eggs. Bit of a bind. But 100% effective.
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FelixLeiter
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I've mentioned it before on other threads about caterpillars, but Bacillus thuringensis (Bt) is absolutely effective and, being a biological control and all, ought to stay that way.

As far as giving up on Brassicas is concerned, without them there's not much in the way of winter greens. I don't grow them for summer use because there are so many other excellent vegetables to enjoy at this time of the year — courgettes, green beans and such — which are a seasonal treat. Savoy, kale and Brussels sprouts (which are the work on the devil, but are enjoyed by many) come into their own in winter, by which time the caterpillar season has long passed. Caterpillars aren't around for long, I find: I've seen winter Brassicas completely perforated by late summer but they grow out of it to give a good crop when their time comes.
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Diane
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I keep seeing "collard greens' mentioned in various veg press articles, saying how easy and caterpillar resistant they are - but what actually is a collard green? Have yet to come across any in the local plant sales?
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FelixLeiter
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There's plenty on t'internet about them. Basically, they're spring greens, loose-headed cabbage, but selected to thrive in a tropical climate, or at least where summers are a good deal hotter than ours. I don't know who in the press are recommending to grow them here, but then they would, wouldn't they. I grew some Portuguese couve tronchuda, a collard green, some years ago but it was not very successful. It got infested with caterpillars, I seem to recall...
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Parsons Jack
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I always grow brassicas under debris netting tunnels. Keeps out the butterflies and the pigeons :)
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Arnie
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Hi Everyone,

Felixleiter took your advise and bought this :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321179677769? ... 1497.l2649

Regards

Arnie
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retropants
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yep, mesh is the way forward. I was fed up with having caterpillars in my broccoli!
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