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SFloridaGardener
- Full Member
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 4:58 pm
Caterpillar Control
Hello. I'm new to gardening and seem to have a problem with caterpillars in my raised bed. I finally found one of the little critters today and relocated him but I know there have to be several more with the amount of damage I have to my leaves. I am trying to manually remove them but unfortunately haven't had much luck catching them in the act. Are there any organic products I can use? I would prefer to just deter them from my raised bed and not necessarily kill the bug but if necessary I will. Thanks for any help!
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skiingjeff
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 383
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2012 4:22 pm
- Location: Western Massachusetts Zone 6a
Bt kills caterpillars. If it is the white cabbage fly with the dark spot on the wing, good riddance but if it is a butterfly you want to protect, not so much.
If you can clean off all of your plants you can put on insect netting to keep the butterflies from laying eggs on them. you have to make sure it is sealed tight at the ground level to keep insects from getting in. Make a hoop tunnel with pvc over short rebar stakes and put insect netting or tulle fabric over the hoop. You may have to sew a couple of widths together or make your tunnel shorter to ensure that the fabric covers all the way to the ground. on the ground you need to weigh down the fabric so that insects cannot get under it. I find a long "sock" filled with sand works and bricks then covered with mulch. The tunnel needs to be free of bugs inside to work. You will also need to be sure to make sure it is sealed tight whenever you have to go in it.
Other than that you can plant a butterfly garden to attract them to go there instead and plant nectar and pollen plants that will bring in predators like the parasitic wasp. To do this though you have to plan ahead.
If you can clean off all of your plants you can put on insect netting to keep the butterflies from laying eggs on them. you have to make sure it is sealed tight at the ground level to keep insects from getting in. Make a hoop tunnel with pvc over short rebar stakes and put insect netting or tulle fabric over the hoop. You may have to sew a couple of widths together or make your tunnel shorter to ensure that the fabric covers all the way to the ground. on the ground you need to weigh down the fabric so that insects cannot get under it. I find a long "sock" filled with sand works and bricks then covered with mulch. The tunnel needs to be free of bugs inside to work. You will also need to be sure to make sure it is sealed tight whenever you have to go in it.
Other than that you can plant a butterfly garden to attract them to go there instead and plant nectar and pollen plants that will bring in predators like the parasitic wasp. To do this though you have to plan ahead.
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Lindsaylew82
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 2115
- Joined: Wed May 21, 2014 9:26 pm
- Location: Upstate, SC
Ohhhhhh.... I HAAAAAAAAAAATE CATERPILLARS!!!!!
Last season I battle caterpillars EVERY DAY! I nearly gave up and used BT, but things eventually evened out, and my biological army started winning. It's early in the season, so handpicking (you'll have to be super diligent and very thorough.
I added bird feeders and had tons of flowers that attracted beneficial bugs that actually parasitize the caterpillar.
Like Imafan said, nets are good for keeping the butterflies and moths from laying on your plants. That has never been an option for me. I just have too much garden!
As mentioned, BT will kill them and is an organic chemical option for making them go away.
Last season I battle caterpillars EVERY DAY! I nearly gave up and used BT, but things eventually evened out, and my biological army started winning. It's early in the season, so handpicking (you'll have to be super diligent and very thorough.
I added bird feeders and had tons of flowers that attracted beneficial bugs that actually parasitize the caterpillar.
Like Imafan said, nets are good for keeping the butterflies and moths from laying on your plants. That has never been an option for me. I just have too much garden!
As mentioned, BT will kill them and is an organic chemical option for making them go away.
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
You said you found a few. What did they look like? Butterfly caterpillars you would want to preserve if possible, but those eating your bean plants were more likely some kind of moth that you don't particularly want. As people have said, BT (bacillus thuringiensis) is an organic spray (actually a soil living bacterium that produces toxins that kill the caterpillar). It will kill various caterpillars, including butterfly ones, but won't harm anything else in the garden, including you.
I usually have caterpillars trying to eat the kale and broccoli but usually the beetles go after the beans and roses.
I have been lucky, I only saw one cabbage butterfly and it did not come back and my garden patrol has keep most of the beetles, some mosquitoes and other worms in check.
I only have problems with slugs and snails because the birds prefer that I kill them first and most of the birds are seed and fruit eaters, although the cattle egret does patrol the grass for grubs. That is why I have to cover my seed tray to keep them from eating the seeds out of the pots. Geckos would rather eat the earthworms. My new cat keeps the mice in the yard and I haven't seen a house gecko in a while and he does catch roaches.
The lady bugs have returned in greater numbers so finally the white flies are under control, well at least for a couple of years. My hibiscus can be allowed to grow again.
I have been lucky, I only saw one cabbage butterfly and it did not come back and my garden patrol has keep most of the beetles, some mosquitoes and other worms in check.
I only have problems with slugs and snails because the birds prefer that I kill them first and most of the birds are seed and fruit eaters, although the cattle egret does patrol the grass for grubs. That is why I have to cover my seed tray to keep them from eating the seeds out of the pots. Geckos would rather eat the earthworms. My new cat keeps the mice in the yard and I haven't seen a house gecko in a while and he does catch roaches.
The lady bugs have returned in greater numbers so finally the white flies are under control, well at least for a couple of years. My hibiscus can be allowed to grow again.