They are cleaning me out........

[Holme grown]

Hi all.
I am a newbie and I need help,Last year I lost all my cabages to caterpillers this year its worse, I didnt net my fruit and veg again and well its out of control.
I am at the end of my teather as the caterpillers clean me out, they have stripped EVERY leaf of my Goosberry Bush, and are now marching to my Strawberries, I was unable to get into the garden due to waterlogging and in a 2 week period they have left my Goosberry Bush as bunch of twigs, the tiny little green caterpillers have to go..I am not by any means organic, I gave that up after a lost battle loosing half my crops to Slugs and Snails.
CAN you advice me on what I can do to get rid of them.

next year I will be keen to cover ALL my beds with netting even though it looks untidy it is not worth wasting all my hard work for the sake of a bit of netting.
Thank you in advance

[TEB]

Unfortunately its a daily chore, hand pick of the caterpillas and rub out all the eggs, netting with something like enviromesh or net curtains is the only alternative

[weekendwellies]

Namasys natural caterpillar & cabbage white killer is meant to be quite good
It works by microscopic parasitic nematodes entering the body of the caterpillar, releasing bacteria which prevent it from eating, quickly killing it and breaking the pest's lifecycle.
I haven't tried it myself yet but its on my shopping list for next year.

[Nicos]

We've just come in from the garden having squished loads of caterpillars...mind you- there are so many butterflies about, it's not surprising
The sprouts and cabbages are under cover- but they've gone for the kale this year which isn't undercover! ( bit difficult as they are planted amongst the tomatoes )

[rustylady]

The tiny green caterpillars on your gooseberries are sawfly caterpillars - completely different to the ones that attack cabbages. Your strawberries should be safe.

[selfraising]

I have kohlarbi uncovered and found loads of cabbage white eggs underneath the leaves. I go out every day now to remove them. Suprising how persistant the butterflies are!

[Alice]

It's down to how determined to be organic you are. There are plenty of sprays out there that will take care of the whole problem for you. Some of those sprays are even billed as organic - whatever that word has come to mean.
Or you can just let the caterpillars eat the lot and buy from the supermarket.
Dear knows what that stuff has been sprayed with or how many thousand miles it has been flown - never mind the cost.
It's really all up to yourself, Holmegrown.
And welcome to the Vine.

[Snadger]

Well.....aah (as Sven would say) ...........This year, for me has seen a change in my gardening tactics and strategies. Instead of growing in long rows i am growing in 'clumps' all higgledy piggledy and more natural looking. One of the beauties of this system that I have seem to have less pest damage.
Put yourself in the mind of a butterfly who is looking for somewhere to lay her eggs.................flying around............gets a sniff of a couple of sprouts......hmm, maybe she thinks...............homes in then gets a heavy whif from next doors sprouts which are in a 30 foot row.............cor she say's, thems the ones for me and divebombs stooker style for this sea of brassicas.............leaving my few humble offerings alone!

Or thats the way I like to think it works!

Whatever................. my clump planting has deffo had less pest damage this year!

[Two_Sheds]

Last year I lost all my cabages to caterpillers ....and ....EVERY leaf of my Goosberry Bush... tiny little green caterpillers

1) cabbage white caterpillars: you must use fine netting to keep the butterflies out

2) gooseberry sawfly (doesn't eat strawberries): pick off by hand, and also hoe the soil to expose the overwintering pupa to hungry birds, or they'll just reinfest next year as well

[Holme grown]

Thank you for all your replies, I have been squishing the eggs of the Cabbage White but my Goosberry Bush is as bald as me..Do you recon it will pirk up again next season or is it finished. The caterpillers have moved on else where as predidcted. the main trouble is all the gardens around mine are not that well kept and I seem to atract all kinds of pests looking for an easy dinner. Oh well I guess its a battle lost but the war goes on and on..

[Two_Sheds]

my Goosberry Bush is as bald as me..Do you recon it will pirk up again next season or is it finished. The caterpillers have moved on else where

It will come back, but you'll get sawfly again next year. The caterpillars drop to the ground and pupate in the soil under the plant, so you need to hoe the soil.

[cobblers]

hi im a newbie as well. i know how you feel i had the same problem last year. this year i have netted most stuff, bought it from a company called LBS, REALLY CHEAP AND GOOD QUALITY. would like to chat more as when im down the allotment i have the habbit of too much chat and no work lol.

[Glutton4...]

Hi newcomers to the madhouse!

To keep the dreaded Cabbage Whites off your Brassicas, make a concoction of Rhubarb leaves soaked in water (in a plastic container, ie dustbin, with a lid), leave it for a couple of weeks then add it to your (non metal) watering can (I think 50 parts water to 1 part stinky stuff) and water all over your crop - I'm told they hate the smell (it STINKS !) Mine are netted, but I use this as well, and they're keeping clear so far!

Dunno who recommended it, but I'm grateful!