PEST OF THE MONTH -
Cabbage
White Butterfly

What's it look like?
You'll probably notice a pretty white butterfly flitting around
the garden this month. Don't be fooled, these are enemies of a
great garden. It's the larvae (or caterpillars) of these
flitting creatures that chew the leaves of developing plants
especially those from the cabbage family.
What it attacks
Cabbage white butterfly will attack any plant in the cabbage
family. This includes cabbages, broccoli, brussel sprouts and
cauliflower.
What to do before it
arrives
Plant out strong smelling herbs like sage, coriander and dill
to deter the butterflies. This stops them laying their eggs on
the leaves.
The butterflies are quite territorial and
won't approach where another has been, so fool them by tying a
piece of fishing line over your crop and dangle home made
butterflies made from white cardboard covered with contact for
rain protection. Don't forget to put a little grey dot on each
wing to give it that "authentic" look. This is a great activity
to do with the kids and it gets them interested in
gardening.
What to do if you already have
problems
Always check on the underside of the leaf for little eggs and
caterpillars. You will often prevent damage by acting early,
before they have a chance to do too much to your plants. Try
hosing them off or simply squash them on the leaf. If you leave
some "evidence" on the leaf it can deter other butterflies from
leaving any unwanted deposits.
You can always do nothing and wait for
predators. Last year I squashed a few on the leaf and left
them. Within only a couple of weeks I saw lots of predatory
wasps preying on unsuspecting caterpillars. After that there
was no need to do anything else.
If you cannot live with these critters, then
your best organic weapon is DIPEL. This is a biological control
that acts on the digestive system of caterpillars. It is
totally safe for humans and animals and registered by the
organic certification body NASAA (nothing to do with
astronauts).
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