Tiny caterpillars on my broccoli leaves!

[Matilda01]

I recently found tiny white/light green caterpillars underneath my broccoli leaves. What are they and am I able to get rid of them without using pesticides?

Thanks!

[shadylane]

I find the light green worms on my brussel leaves, I just pick them off and place in soapy water. Understanding they are from a moth, could be from the cabbage moth.

[!potatoes!]

that most common light green caterpillar of brassica crops is the larvae of the cabbage butterfly or 'small white', Pieris rapae.

if you don't have a huge number of plants, just pick 'em off by hand and do a little squishing.

[applestar]

I sometimes gather them in a cup then put them on the bird feeder....

[rainbowgardener]

When you harvest your broccoli, dip it upside down in cold salt water for a minute, unless you want to be eating some of the little green worms!

[MonicaT]

How do you know when to pull your broccoli plants. I am down to getting small bowls of florets only.
Also, insects desimated my brussel sprouts, even eating the tiny sprouts....can these recover or do I pull them out?

[rainbowgardener]

Depends on what else you want the space for. If you don't have anything to do with the space, leave the broccoli plants. When it cools off in the fall, they should start producing more. But I have a small, crowded garden, so I pull mine rather than leaving them sitting there taking up space, doing nothing much until fall.