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  • #1

    White butterflies, catapillars and no crops left

    Hi All,

    I planted out some cauli's, broc and kale and netted over. However, my leaves are being decimated and today have found loads of black dots (eggs) and 7 catapillars on one plant alone and just to add insult to me further have found butterflies UNDER the netting.

    What do you suggest? Would it be better to take the netting off and take out all the plants and start again next year?

    Thanks, Mantha
    Follow my adventures on Twitter: @backyardveggie


    My children will grow up knowing the Good Life... one day Tom and Barbara, one day!
    Tags: broccoli, butterfly, catapillers, cauliflower, eggs
  • #2
    Your net isn't fine enough mesh.

    I would take the nets off and give the plants a thorough inspection. Pick off any eggs and caterpillars you find and hope the plants recover.

    Re-cover with finer mesh netting (net curtains would do).

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    • #3
      so thats what the black dots are on my chilli plants!

      I have been brushing them off every morning!

      I too have white butterfly problems, lots of holes in chilli leaves appearing every morning....

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      • #4
        I doubt it'd be CWB eating your chilli leaves, CG. They lay eggs on brassicas, who's offspring then decimate.

        I'd guess at snails, slugs or possibly flea beetle if they're small holes. (Even if there's no slime trail slugs/snails are often the case). Edit: or another caterpillar
        Last edited by chris; 06-08-2013, 02:17 PM.

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        • #5
          I feel your pain Mantha, I was a bit lazy getting around to netting mine and had to hurridly complete my brassica frame. I spent a couple of evenings removing eggs and now am checking for and removing caterpillars from the ones I missed. They appear to cause immense damage very quickly.

          I am using (like many on here) scaffold debris netting, but I am still panicky that they will lay eggs through it onto any foliage that is touching the net.
          While wearing your night clothes, plant cucumbers on the 1st May before the sun comes up, and they will not be attacked by bugs.

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          • #6
            Nil desperandum Mantha, Though decimated my crops have regrouped and fought back. With fresh netting you can win this one. Just water and treat as normal once you have fresh netting over the fully inspected plants and they will grow back - isn't nature wonderful

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            • #7
              Cabbage white butterfly eggs are yellow...



              The black dots are more likely caterpillar droppings.
              Location - Leicestershire - Chisit-land
              Endless wonder.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Mantha81 View Post
                have found butterflies UNDER the netting.
                Yes, a butterfly is just a caterpillar with foldable wings: they can wriggle into the smallest hole. Really, you need butterfly mesh, and it needs to be completely pegged down or buried at the sides.

                Even so, you will find one or two still get in, so you need to be checking, and picking caterpillars off by hand every week.


                And yes, eggs are yellow, not black. The black dots are either frass or blackfly
                All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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