Best way of getting rid of tiny little green catipllars

[SmittenGarden]

They are eating my zucchini leaves. Ive never seen such tiny little things. theres holes on the iner parts of the leaves on both my Plants. And i don't know what to do. and i think ive seen lots of tiny eggs on the undersides. they almost look like the tiniest of dew drops. if those are eggs. when they hatch the plants are doomed. I'd like to avoid spraying chemicals. But when I googled it I found spraying water with either dish soap or garlic of onions on the plants.

But I thought I read spraying the leaves with water will create mildew?

What should I do?

[RebelRidin]

You have to pick your poisen (water or bugs). Zuchinni get rained on all the time and still produce lots and lots of fruits! Those tiny dew drops you describe sound like egg masses.

If things are that bad I would suggest using some BT. No risk to anything but the worms/catepillars. Spraying in the morning once the dew is off is best as the spray can "stick" and plants can then dry. A finer mist is better getting up under the leaves. Recommend not to spray in the heat of the day with direct sun. An overcast day can be good too.

Good luck.

[SmittenGarden]

Thank you. What about lady bugs? Will they help too? I think they look like cabbage loopers. I was thinking of buying a load of ladybugs a couple of dill plants for the lady bugs and a bottle of bt tonight and setting the lady bugs on them this evening. Will that work?

[RebelRidin]

I've never thought of lady bugs for loopers. I know they are the terror on aphids. We've had such an invasion of Asian Ladybugs that I don't have to worry about them as the Ladybugs are thick as fleas in the spring. I mishh the red ones though. Don't see many of them now...

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by RebelRidin

I've never thought of lady bugs for loopers. I know they are the terror on aphids. We've had such an invasion of Asian Ladybugs that I don't have to worry about them as the Ladybugs are thick as fleas in the spring. I mishh the red ones though. Don't see many of them now...

I only thought it was an option because I found them on a list of predators when googling how to get rid of cabbage loopers.

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by SmittenGarden

I only thought it was an option because I found them on a list of predators when googling how to get rid of cabbage loopers.

If they are small enough worms they probably will and I bet they would munch the eggs. Certainly no harm trying them.

[SmittenGarden]

Thanks. The ones I found were so tiny I couldn't pick them off without using a tip of a key or my nail. They were minuscule.
Hopefully they work or the by does. I have to wait till tomorrow to get the stuff though I'm sure by then I'll have lost a fair bit more follage.

[holyhotpeppers]

BT works wonders. A bit pricey but it will solve your problem.

[claherron]

So I'm new to this place and I have only browsed the Acronym list, 17 years in the Air Force will make you loathe them. What is BT.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[KarenO]

BT stands for bacillus Thuringiensis. A bacteria that you can purchase and spray which kill most leaf eating caterpillars.
If you add up the cost of the containers, potting mix, plants, fertilizer and now some BT, those are getting to be very expensive zuccini...That's my practical farmgirl nature speaking there... But I do understand the love of growing things for myself so whatever you decide, i hope it works out and you get some nice produce to enjoy.
KO

[holyhotpeppers]

Bacillus Thuringienius
http://www.bonide.com/products/produ...ategory_id=802

[noinwi]

Bacillus thuringiensis. Here's a link that explains pretty well. This stuff really works. You will still get a little damage while the little buggers feed, but then they will die. Large cats or newly emerging ones may need a second application(and they do grow fast). You may also have to re-apply after a rain.

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05556.html

[SmittenGarden]

Will bt harm the ladybugs? I think I saw little mights in the sick tomato plants dirt.....or tiny tiny red spiders....I'm not sure. Plus yesterday there were millions of unharched eggs.....this is all assuming I have a plant left today. My hubby couldn't take me out to get anything yesterday. But promises he will today.

[Redbaron]

The Bt that is used to make commercial organic biocides is completely harmless to ladybugs or any other beneficial predators.

[SmittenGarden]

Originally Posted by KarenO

BT stands for bacillus Thuringiensis. A bacteria that you can purchase and spray which kill most leaf eating caterpillars.
If you add up the cost of the containers, potting mix, plants, fertilizer and now some BT, those are getting to be very expensive zuccini...That's my practical farmgirl nature speaking there... But I do understand the love of growing things for myself so whatever you decide, i hope it works out and you get some nice produce to enjoy.
KO

I won't lie, I was hoping to save money at first. But that went out of the window with our first trip to the garden center. I thought, well was rather hoping that the containers and potting mix would last at least a couple of years. And that our plants would last a decent amount of time. I wouldn't put the veggies in the soil in our garden. It looks pretty rough. The guy we bought it off of was a flipper who was after a lot of money for minnimum effort. He built these giant wood toughs as planters (touted them as "designed by") lined them with plastic and filled with dirt from the back alley (card constantly drive over) and the garden when he "re landscaped ". He put tomatoes and zuchini plants in them. I only ever saw one tomato grow and one squash. Dh had to empty them to move them and didn't like what he saw. Said I was clay and other stuff. From the alley and he wouldn't eat food grown from it. I thought a container would be less effort and soil that dealing with our beds and sprinkler system.