Kitchen Garden Forum

As has been noted on here, butterflies are in scarce supply this year. Hardly had any in our garden, so imagine my surprise when I went to water the flower tub by the back door which is full of gladioli and nasturtiums only to find the nasturtiums teeming in caterpillars. the front of the display has largely been left alone but the back is thoroughly chomped on.

My hubbie says kill them but I’m aware that those are next years butterflies. Can’t grumble about a lack of them if we kill them in childhood.

Oh the quandary.

A tough one, Myrkk…are they cabbage whites do you know?

I think they are large whites looking at the caterpillars. From a quick online search very few will reach adulthood anyhow as they are parasitised by wasps. Also we have a lot of birds in our garden and haven’t fed them the last few weeks so they might eat a few. I did hear some young calling for their food a few days ago.

My husband has also helpfully pointed out I had no issue with pouring nematodes and releasing grubs and parasitic flies into the conservatory to kill thrips, aphids and fungus gnats. Feeling like a complete hypocrite at the moment lol.

I've been up our big Birch tree today to put up a new Bat box, the old one was used, but split and fell to the ground. Now we like to have Pipistrelle Bats around, they feed on moths and the Moths lay their eggs on our Solomons Seal plants every year and strip the leaves. We get to enjoy the flowers on the plants, the Moth caterpillars get a feed, then so do the Bats, I don't want to upset the balance. Live and let live(within reason of course).

Well said, Burnie…..

It's a bit of a quandary Myrkk! I had some butterflies appear late but didn't stay around long for some reason, probably predated by the other hungry guys. The cabbage whites have been around but in very limited numbers compared to previous years & the few that got under the netting laid, but not the usual number of eggs I usually expect to squish when they have been busy. I did not squish many as thought it seemed wrong when so few, so cut what leaves I could off & threw them over the hedge row as lots of nice weeds in the field.

On the positive I have had more moths then I usually see, but a bit confused by their increase as would have thought they would have been targeted? Maybe they don't taste as nice or their patterning confuses the predators better?

Been reading up on the wee things and it seems they don’t get predated by birds as the brassicas they eat mean they are full of mustard flavouring lol. Wonder if they are nice on hotdogs?

I’ve left them alone as, in ‘Burnies words “I don’t want to upset the balance. Live and let live”.

I very rarely kill things, fungus gnats, thrips and greenfly in my conservatory excluded! My Mum was rather perturbed when, after she pointed out there was a spider wandering over the face of the curtains, I simply smiled at it and said hiya, be careful of the cats! Perhaps I was Buddhist in another lifetime.