Newbie Pest Question

htanguay 10/4/2011, 4:35 pm

I know this question is very broad and I am giving the most information I can. I started a square foot garden this year-lettuce-did great, but had a lot of earwigs in the plant (no damage). Broccoli & Cauliflower-leaves eaten by something. Have seen slugs, some beetles and earwigs in garden. I did a fall garden and again the broccoli and cauliflower leaves devoured. Lettuce growing great. Don't see many bugs in the garden this fall. Thoughts on what might be eating up my broccoli and cauliflower leaves. I am growing (trying anyway) carrots and they have not been harmed. I have had groundhogs in my yard, but don't see any damage that animals are in the garden.

Just trying to be prepared for next years garden.

Thanks
Heidi

**camprn** 10/4/2011, 4:44 pm

Hi Heidi, my best guess is cabbage worms. You can do a search of the forum for more threads about them and there's tons of info on the web. I thwarted moths for several months this spring and early summer by covering the plants with tulle, a net fabric that is often used in wedding and prom dresses, etc. It worked pretty well preventing the egg laying... I also check the plants regularly for the worms and squish the ones I find.

**gwennifer** 10/4/2011, 5:01 pm

Hi Heidi!

+1 on the cabbage worms. Have you seen any pretty white butterflies fluttering around? Do a forum search and you can find pictures and other people (like me) talking about it. They lay teeny, tiny eggs, from which hatch teeny, tiny green worms (on the underside of the leaves) that manage to munch great big holes if left unchecked. They are prevented with row covers and treated with BT (again, do a forum search!). Good luck on next year's garden!

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