Grow Your Own Magazine

Well after having to lose ALL my brocollis yesterday cos of the massive mealy aphids infestation it's the turn of my peas. They are nearly finished but when inspecting them tonight I found several green tiny caterpillars munching happily away. Well they were munching happliy away til I picked them off and threw them to the chooks. lol

Any ideas what they are from? And a preventative for next year?

Also there is something eating holes in some of my pepper and chili plants in the greenhouse and outside which are all flwering beautifully, and I'm darned if I can find the culprits grrrrrr

frustrated, janeyo

Were they inside the pod? If so, they are Pea Moth caterpillars. You need to net your crop against the moth that lays her eggs inside the flowers.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Here's a thread I did earlier: Pea Moth & Maggot... May-July

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Great article TS thanks.

But these were green caterpillars, about 5 mm in length. I almost missed them as they were the exact same colour as the leaves and peas. They were on the underside of the leaves turning them into skeletons. As yet none in the peas, which have been delish.

Yuk (to the caterpillars not the peas)

janeyo

No idea, Jane. I've never come across caterpillars eating the leaves of the pea.

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

Could be diamond back moth catepillers - I usually get them on peas as well as anything else they take a fancy to!

I generally pick them off or spray with pyrethrum,

good luck with them cos they're buggers and hide and eat the new leaves and flowers before they open.

cheers,

KC