Cabbage White Butterfly

So...as it is time to sow your brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower etc) you need to be aware of several pests that they will undoubtably come across. The first will be cabbage white butterfly. Unfortunatly for you you they dont just eat cabbages...but every bassica! This is what they look like...

Then will come the eggs (the little yellow ones up the top), they are layed mostly on the underside of leaves but some will be on the top too.

Then the holes and caterpillers (they grow to be enormous!)

You can see the little caterpillers

End result=eaten, although only babies have been working on this one so far.

So your beautiful seedlings, that you just planted can end up like this really really quickly....so how to prevent it. You can go the unatural way and spray them with chemicals  :-( but i garden organically so here are a few tips

1. Save your used egg shells! Placing half eggs shells around you plants will help deter cabbage white butterfly! The butterflies think that this spot is already taken (by other cabbage white butterflies and leave it alone)

2. Builds habits/areas for predators (birds, lacewings, ladybirds etc). I will be building a bug hotel soon. Otherwise for birds have fresh water and nesting boxes

Simple Bug Hotel

Elaborate Bug Hotel

3. Check that your seedlings dont have eggs or caterpillers on it and then have a physical barrier around the plant

4. Go out there and rub off the eggs and pick off the caterpillers. If you have chickens or birds they can be a great treat...otherwise i go out with a bucket of hot soapy water and they have a swim

5. If your really getting desperate 'Dipel' is an approved organic insecticide. It is supposed to only affect caterpillers and not people or pets.

6. This one i havnt tried but apparently 1tbs Mollases to 1L water and 1tsp dishwashing liqued. Sprayed on both sides of the leaves works. Will have to try that :)

Well hopefully now you will be prepared for these little nasties!

Next Post will be on slugs and snails...ewww