Have you noticed a crowd of white butterflies fluttering around your garden? Has their arrival led to holey cabbages and tattered leaves?
These, my fellow garden pals, are tell-tale signs of a cabbage caterpillar invasion. You see the white butterflies that casually hover around your cabbage fields; they are prone to lay some eggs that in turn hatch into a swarm of cabbage eating larvae called brassica massacre.
It is the kind of pest invasion that rapidly unravels to become your worst nightmare.
What is brassica massacre?
The brassica massacre is one of the many cabbage-loving brassicas that infest your gardens. They are commonly referred to as, ‘large cabbage white’ or ‘cabbage white’ caterpillars. These multi-legged beings are the larval stage of white butterflies and occasionally some varieties of moths.
The large cabbage white caterpillars have a yellow and black body with small hair sticking out from them. Whereas, the small cabbage white caterpillars have a light green body and short hair.
The problem with both kinds of caterpillars is that they love to munch on the big leafy vegetables in your garden. This damages any chances you might have had of producing a good crop of cabbages for your household/livelihood.
Here are the common signs of a cabbage caterpillar invasion:
- There are holes and bite marks on the leaves
- Poor health of affected plants
- There will be eggs present on the underside of the leaves
- Caterpillar droppings will be visible on the leaves
More importantly, caterpillars don’t exactly hide in dark places like the slugs. Thus, finding the culprit feasting on your patches is a pretty common sight.
Now, that you know how to identify this pesky problem, we should move on to the main issue.
How can you control the cabbage caterpillar invasion?
Remember the summers you spent chasing butterflies and collecting caterpillars?
If only they could still some in handy for your delicate cabbage patch! Unfortunately, they don’t which is why it is essential that you take strict preventive measures to secure your garden.
Here are a number of precautions you can take:
1. Spray them off
One way to keep the caterpillars off the leaves is by spraying your plants with pesticides. The toxic chemicals work as a protective coating that harms any caterpillar that bites into the leaf. Gradually you will see the larvae population decreasing in size.
2. Get them eaten
Nematodes are a good way of clearing the caterpillars off your garden. These microorganisms have a great appetite for these troublesome larvae.
3. Net Protect
Getting rid of the caterpillars is fine but the main threat is still their parents. This is why we advise you to take no chances and invest in a fine net that covers your plants. The net makes sure that the butterflies are not able to lay eggs on the plants.
Need a recommendation?
The Ultra Fine Insect Protection Netting is our preferred choice to get the white butterflies off your lawn. This is because they are high-quality and easy functioning products. Additionally, they come in varied widths and sizes that match your gardening requirements.
