Who is eating my broccoli? (pics)

[TomNJ]

And more important, what can I do to stop them? They are also devouring my cauliflower and brussels sprouts.

Anyone have an organic or at least safe remedy?

TomNJ/VA

[Labradors2]

That is the caterpillar of the cabbage white butterfly. If you want to treat organically, Cayenne pepper might work. Row covers definitely would for next year.

In the meantime, you could hand pick, and squish any eggs that you find on the underside of the leaves.

Linda

[Worth1]

Bt might work.

Worth

[Wi-sunflower]

BT WILL work.

AND it's approved for certified organic as far as I know.

Carol

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by Wi-sunflower

BT WILL work.

AND it's approved for certified organic as far as I know.

Carol

Very true, but it stinks and I would question putting it on anything I intend to eat.

Linda

[RayR]

Originally Posted by Labradors2

Very true, but it stinks and I would question putting it on anything I intend to eat.

Linda

Why? Bacillus thuringiensis is totally harmless to anything but caterpillars.
And nothing works better than good old BT,

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by RayR

Why? Bacillus thuringiensis is totally harmless to anything but caterpillars.
And nothing works better than good old BT,

[shelleybean]

I keep a big shaker can of Dipel Dust (powdered form of Bt) for everything in the cabbage family. I use it a lot more through the fall, winter and spring than the summer. Safe for people, pets, bees, everyone but caterpillars.

[shelleybean]

I should point out though that there are different forms of Bt and they work on different kinds of worms. But for a cabbage worm, Dipel will do the trick and it's easy to find at any garden center or hardware store.

[tjg911]

tom you never mentioned this in the emails and phone calls! it's the cabbage white moth caterpillar and BT is the cure and it is organic.

i recommend the liquid concentrate. it goes by BT and Dipel and probably other names. DON"T buy the BT for colorado potato beetles that is a different BT and will not work against anything but cpb larvae, it is the stuff i'll be giving you at the garlic festival.

i just finished the 16 oz bottle i bought in the mid 90's the other day. 1 or 2 teaspoon for a quart of water, i use 1 tsp. it will kill butterfly cats too so if you have milkweed or other butterfly host plants be careful spraying it.

http://www.nosprayzone.org/pesticides/quickBtfacts.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis

tom

[b54red]

I much prefer the Dipel dust for plants in the cabbage family. I just keep my duster filled with it from about October through about May. It is much easier than mixing and spraying unless you are treating a huge number of plants.

There is a type of maggot looking worm that usually gets on the bottom of mustard and turnip leaves that bt does not kill and you have to use Sevin. These things sometimes get on cabbage but I have only seen them rarely on anything other than mustard or turnip greens.

Whatever form of bt you decide to use get it on the plants as soon as possible because it will take a day or so to completely stop them.

Bill

[TomNJ]

Thank you all very much! I have about 70 plants to treat, so I'll go pick up some BT tomorrow.

Tom - we spent so much time on the phone talking onions, garlic, peppers, and wine that I forgot to mention this critter problem.

TomNJ/VA

[tjg911]

ha ha! you gotta get your priorities straight! start with the problems then move on to the light stuff.

tom

[MrsJustice]

Hello everybody

I have had the most busiest farming season {plus recovering from hurricane sandy}. Belief or Not: We originally to control unwanted bugs by using a Very hot pepper called Hinkel Hatz Pepper. It worked much better than cayenne peppers. For years we used both Cayenne & Hatz Peppers. This year to control squash bugs we have to put up the cayenne's around the squash plant and replace the with Hinkel Hatz Pepper . It woked so great we are now selling the seeds for the first time. Just remember to wear gloves when spreading the Hatz Peppers and /or wash your hands with vinegar, because they are just that hot hot hot. The Capsicum washes out of the soil in around seven day. so weekly we take around two hatz peppers and open them up around all plants. The very hot levels of capsicum affects the nervous system of unwanted pest. http://www.ebay.com/itm/130990132446...84.m1555.l2649

[Labradors2]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

Hello everybody

I have had the most busiest farming season {plus recovering from hurricane sandy}. Belief or Not: We originally to control unwanted bugs by using a Very hot pepper called Hinkel Hatz Pepper. It worked much better than cayenne peppers. For years we used both Cayenne & Hatz Peppers. This year to control squash bugs we have to put up the cayenne's around the squash plant and replace the with Hinkel Hatz Pepper . It woked so great we are now selling the seeds for the first time. Just remember to wear gloves when spreading the Hatz Peppers and /or wash your hands with vinegar, because they are just that hot hot hot. The Capsicum washes out of the soil in around seven day. so weekly we take around two hatz peppers and open them up around all plants. The very hot levels of capsicum affects the nervous system of unwanted pest. http://www.ebay.com/itm/130990132446...84.m1555.l2649

That sounds interesting, but what exactly are you doing? Are you spreading the seeds all around the plants? Are you putting them ON the plants to be protected? They sound a bit hazardous if you have to wear gloves to touch them .

Linda