Bugs!!

Hi, I've also asked this on the Pests forum, but wondered if I might catch a few local people here:

Would you all mind going to my blog and reading the most recent post? It explains my bug problem and shows pictures.

Thanks!!

If you plant it they will come. Cabbage worms, A realy good way to fight them is with BT there are a lot of brands out there. Bt is an illness (germ warfare) that only effects catapillers. Bees and other benifical insects are unaffected, just as long as it is not mixed with other pestisides. Go get em.

I don't have any answers but I sympathize. My cabbage is getting eaten up. I have sprayed it several times with Neem oil insecticide but it isn't helping. I went to an (orange) big box store to get BT but they didn't have any. Today I'm going to head over to a local garden center where I will probably have better luck finding what I need. The cabbage worms haven't ventured far from the luscious cabbage that they have fun, but they certainly have enjoyed it. One question I have is when do you know you are growing a pointless vegetable. When do I no they got it for sure?

This is my first summer garden; I have a feeling I'm going to be at war all summer with pests . What did I get myself into?

Still having fun....

Heidi

Yup! Gardening is a war alright. If it isn't the weather, then it is bugs, or the animals.

Are we having fun yet??

I checked out your blog and those look like the cabbage moth caterpillar to me. If you are certain you got all the little critters, you may want to invest in some bridal veil tulle at a fabric store and cover your garden with netting. It will keep those little white butterflies that you will often see flitting about, from laying their eggs on your brassicas. They loves those brassicias which is why I hardly ever plant them anymore. The eggs hatch and you get those cute little green worms in your cabbage and I hate seeing them float up in the broccoli! YUCK!! (interesting note: Spell checker keeps kicking out brassicas and suggests brassieres as an alternative. That conjures up some weird images and "No!" Ashort, we don't need anymore of your pics!)

Gwynn

Ok, friends and neighbors: WHAT is BT???

Cabbage worms... that's what I was told on the other forum I left that request on, too.... dang worms. Now what did you think about the collards with those little egg sacs (???) on the bottoms of the leaves? And the holes in my beans?

LOVE your machine gun, Hippie, LOL, oh gosh, I was hoping so hoping... well, yeah, in my little Polly Anna mind there are no garden pests...

Thank you for your responses... it gives me direction. I need to know about BT now... ???

Kerrie

Wait, you told me what BT was... I just have to find it... And Bridal tulle... that's a good thought, too!

I knew I could count on you!!
Thanks!!

Well I googled BT and came up with a couple of things....Broadband telephone which I don't think is the one we are looking for and 'bacillus thurengienus".

Here is a link

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/BTgen.pdf

Gwynn

Awesome! Thanks! Checking out the link now!

Just a word of caution on bridal netting: I always seem to have problems with cabbage worms on my brassicas, which I plant in Aug. for my fall garden. The first sign is little white butterflies flittering around the garden looking innocent and sweet; but then they lay the eggs on the underside of the leaves which become the dreaded larvae that eat holes in the leaves.
My experience with bridal tulle has been disappointing: The first year I put it down after I saw the white butterflies. Too late. The eggs were just captured inside the netting with my brocolli and cabbage, and holes began to appear in the plants anyway. The next year I bought plants at a nursery and covered them with the bridal netting as soon as I planted them. One day I went out and counted 7 little while butterflies inside the netting, flitting happily around in their new playspace with my plants. My conclusion is that the nursery plants, sitting outside at the nursery, had already been zapped by the moths so the eggs were already present when I brought them home. I thought I looked them over well before planting, but I must have missed some.
Short of growing the plants indoors from seeds, I don't have a solution. For the last year my solution has been to go to the farmer's market or grocery store and buy my cabbage and brocolli.

Old Hippie wrote: (interesting note: Spell checker keeps kicking out brassicas and suggests brassieres as an alternative. That conjures up some weird images and "No!" Ashort, we don't need anymore of your pics!)

Gwynn

Did someone call?

Right on cue! LOL!

Those are gross! Ewwwwwwww!

Gwynn

OK, I have been told that the Melaleuca product, Sol-U-Mel, can be diluted and sprayed on plants for bugs... might try that as I probably have some around here....

From http://motherlodeholistic.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/101-uses-for-sol-u-mel/ :


....Control aphids and bugs on plants by spraying diluted Sot-U-Mel (5 parts water to one part Sot-U-Mel) directly on affected stems, leaves, buds, etc.)...

I forgot to say that sage is supposed to help repel cabbage moths. I tried that one year on my cabbage and it seemed to work. I just laid a couple of branches of sage across the tops of the cabbages and I didn't get any of those little loopers.

Gwynn

I really, really don't like these worms! Last summer I inspected all my brassicas and hand picked the wee devils 2 X a day, all summer. It didn't take long each day and I had pretty good results. I am planning on planting most brassicas in the same bed and covering with a sheer curtain or tulle. Finger crossed for good results. Good luck with your cabbage worms. Also, be aware that these critters have about 4 life cycles through the growing season, so it really is a season long endeavor to keep ahead of them.
informational article about cabbageworm <~~~~Click link

I grew all (most) of my brassicas from seed indoors, transplanted into my Table Tops in Mel's Mix and immediately covered with bridal veil tulle.

They have been outside for 30 days now and no sign of cabbage worms. I have seen some cabbage moths flitting around outside for the last week, but none seem to have gotten into the covered table top.

Last year the cabbage worms were awful. BT was the only thing that helped.

Old Hippie wrote:I forgot to say that sage is supposed to help repel cabbage moths. I tried that one year on my cabbage and it seemed to work. I just laid a couple of branches of sage across the tops of the cabbages and I didn't get any of those little loopers.

Gwynn

sage is a perennial right?

Yep sage is a perennial alright and seems to be a trap crop for mealy bubs in my garden. At least they seem to like the sage and not anything else. Yes the BT I was speaking of is 'bacillus thurengienus' I should have said so, sorry.

I had something eat my cabbage this year, but it was the goats, they ate 4 of them, that was half, and they only ate half of each one before moving on to the next.

So far those are the only pests in my cabbage, broccoli, and califlower, oh and brussels sprouts, I planted onions with them though so that may be helping.

If the soap does not work, and you cannot find bt locally, try here, they really are a great company.
http://www.gardensalive.com/product.asp?pn=8797

Check out books by Jerry Baker. He promotes organic pest control methods. This will be my first year trying SFG. I am not a gardener but with the cost of food going up up up i figure this can only help.

Here is a couple of items from one of his books.

Cabbage Worm Killer
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Combine and sprinkle on cabbage. After they eat it, the flour expands and kills the worms.

To fight aphids, I plant a little basil nearby. I have 10 times less aphids on my lettuce when I do this.

Hope tis helps. I have found quit a few folks here in Ga who have his books and use his methods for pest control inside and outside the home.

a couple chickens can take care of them worms but besure you fence them out of your tomatoes they like them green and red tomatoes better then the worms