Cabbages are most often affected by the cabbage white butterfly, the cabbage looper, the cabbage moth, and the cabbage moth caterpillar. They look different, so it is important to recognize the pest:
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The cabbage white butterfly caterpillar is a large yellowish-green caterpillar with black dots and yellow stripes. They usually stay in groups and chew the leaves, leaving only the thicker veins.
The cabbage looper caterpillar is smaller, light green in color. It often hides alone and can chew tunnels inside the cabbage head.
The cabbage moth caterpillar is larger, grayish-green or brownish in color. Young caterpillars chew leaves, and adults can enter the head and leave their secretions inside.
The cabbage moth caterpillar is a small green caterpillar. At first, it damages the leaves from the inside, and later it can destroy the growth point, so the head does not form properly.
When inspecting cabbages, it is important to check not only the upper side of the leaves but also the underside – this is where eggs and young pests often hide.
How to protect cabbages from caterpillars?
The simplest way is to prevent butterflies from laying eggs on the leaves. Young seedlings can be covered immediately after planting with a thin agrofilm or a special net. The edges must be well secured so that insects cannot get under the cover.
Also, regularly inspect the plants and immediately remove any eggs and caterpillars found.
Strong-smelling plants can be planted near cabbages, such as dill, fennel, parsley, mint, coriander, celery, marigolds, or nasturtiums. They do not guarantee complete protection but can make the bed less attractive to butterflies.
How to get rid of caterpillars on cabbages?
If there are few pests, chemical preparations should not be used immediately. First, caterpillars can be collected by hand and plants treated with one of the homemade solutions.
Folk remedies against caterpillars:
Ash and tobacco dust – mixed in approximately equal parts and sprinkled on wet leaves. After rain, the procedure should be repeated.
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Garlic infusion – about 200 g of garlic cloves or 300 g of garlic scapes chopped, poured with 10 l of water and left for a day. After straining, spray the plants with the solution.
Onion peel infusion – fill one-third of a three-liter jar with peels, pour 2 l of water and leave for about two days. Then strain, add water up to 4 l and add a little soap.
Tomato leaf infusion – 4 kg of fresh or 2 kg of dried leaves poured with 10 l of water, boiled for about 30 minutes, cooled and diluted with water at a ratio of 1:3. Soap can be added for better adhesion.
Wormwood decoction – chopped grass poured with water, left for about three days, then boiled for about 30 minutes and strained.
Mustard and hot pepper – 100 g of mustard powder poured with 10 l of water. For pepper solution, about 100 g of fresh or 50 g of dried pods per liter of water can be used, then diluted.
You can also use yarrow or chamomile infusions or sprinkle leaves with a mixture of baking soda and flour.
It is best to spray vegetables in dry, cloudy weather or in the evening when there is no scorching sun. The solution should get not only on the upper but also on the underside of the leaves.
When is it worth choosing special preparations?
Folk remedies require regularity. If after several treatments the number of caterpillars does not decrease and the damage continues to spread, more effective measures can be chosen, such as biological preparations with Bacillus thuringiensis.
It is important that the specific preparation is registered and suitable for use on cabbages in Lithuania, and before use, it is necessary to follow the dosage, number of treatments, and waiting period indicated on the label.
The most important prevention is to regularly inspect cabbages, especially the underside of the leaves, and remove pests as early as possible. After harvesting, it is also worth removing plant residues and not leaving cruciferous family weeds in the beds, where pests may survive.
