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Caterpillar issue

leelkataleelkata Posts: 31
in Problem solving
Hi all. Anyone knows a good way to get rid of caterpillar from edible plants. I used the spray Provanto ultimate and it works a treat, but I was looking a more of a natural way to kill them. Google gives me all kinds: neem oil(I use it, great against aphids white flies and gnats, but not caterpillar), soapy water ?, vinegar(isn't the acid bad for some plants?) Any experience or suggestions?
Also how do u know if the leaves bitten by slugs/snails or larvae/caterpillar?

Appreciate any help.

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    As far as I know,   Butterflies are not laying eggs yet,  so won’t be caterpillars. 
    Best to pick off any slugs you see. No sprays will kill them,  not sure what they’ll do to you though😉
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 812
    The research term you are looking for is Bacillus thuringiensis.
    Although netting is usually used to keep the butterflies off in the first place.
  • leelkataleelkata Posts: 31
    Thank you for clearing this up for me. We are regularly hunting for slugs and of course beer traps, but they put down crazy lot of eggs.
    It is hard sometimes to find all Bacillus thuringiensis they hide very well. I found 2 fat ones.
    Netting is a great idea, but a few plants are too big to cover. I'll buy some more netting.
    Thank you for your help
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    Just checking on foxgloves , white, to flower this year.  Found a fat green caterpillar.  So they are about.

    Soapy water and vegetable oils stop insects from breathing.  Neem oil is no better than cheapest rape seed, just smells worse.  Neem oil is supposed to be a deterrent, but I have seen no evidence.  Vinegar, malt 5% acetic  will kill green leaves.  I don't know about dilution.  Strong acetic acid will kill everything.  When they mention vinegar in USA it is different to ours.

    Beer "traps" attract more slugs.

    Slugs leave a silver trail and slimy poo.  Caterpillars leave granular, dryish poo.  But I suppose for both it depends what they have been eating.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 812
    MikeOxgreen said:
    The research term you are looking for is Bacillus thuringiensis.
    Although netting is usually used to keep the butterflies off in the first place.
    This is the term you research for an answer, it's not a slug.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    If you go for netting,  make sure it doesn’t touch the plants,  the butterflies will just lay eggs through it,  you need a frame to fix it too.  I bought scaffolding netting from Amazon,  cheap for a big roll. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    Caterpillar nematodes work well in my experience.
  • DaveGreigDaveGreig Posts: 189
    Enviromesh is a fine mesh and protects against almost anything that flies. It’s expensive though but will last a couple of seasons if you care for it. 
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    Yes Bacillus thuringiensis is a bacteria, specific to caterpillars so is a biological control in the same way nematodes work against slugs etc. If you are too late to net then one of the best methods for edible plants, is so called finger and thumb control (I'll let you work it out).
    AB Still learning

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