Tiny holes in everything

[Marb67]

I am coming to find that I am up against too many forces foiling any attempts for me to grow anything successfully. I have found this season especially that tiny holes are appearing in almost every leaf on nearly everything I am growing. In the greenhouse and outside. I suspect they are thrips as suggested in another post but how do you fight against this kind of thing ? Even my carrot tops have been eaten by caterpillars. Have you ever heard of caterpillars acting carrot leaves ? I haven't

[rustylady]

Are you sure it's caterpillars on your carrots Marb? Much more likely to be slugs or snails.

[rustylady]

Thrips don't tend to make holes in leaves - see here Thrips - how to control these plant pests

More likely flea beetles.

[Marb67]

Are you sure it's caterpillars on your carrots Marb? Much more likely to be slugs or snails.

100% sure considering they were all over the foliage. I picked about 15 off.

[veggiechicken]

Can you give us a photo of these caterpillars? If we could identify them it would help to work out how you can prevent it!

[Marb67]

I took them all off so I can't. They were green.

[taff]

I've had a lot on my chillies and toms. I think the cabbage whites are getting desperate.

[veggiechicken]

Large or small? Were they loopers? Any hairs, spots stripes?
Did they look like these http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1147463

[PyreneesPlot]

Where are you as that will also help narrow down your pests.

Round here brassicas+little holes+death = flea beetles.

I've never seen caterpillars on carrots, probably as the slugs get them first, but swallowtail caterpillars will eat carrots, although they prefer fennel or dill.

[Polytastic]

cabbage whites? tiny holes in leaves seems to be logical but difficult to know without a pic.

[Marb67]

I am in Cheshire. Cabbage whites are all over the place and seem to be inspecting every plant in the garden. It cold be them.

[veggiechicken]

Cabbage whites are out in force here today too. They've visited the brassicas, potatoes, bramble, hardy geraniums, courgettes etc etc.

[rustylady]

I am in Cheshire. Cabbage whites are all over the place and seem to be inspecting every plant in the garden. It cold be them.

I think you've told us you're in Cheshire before Marb. If you add that or your nearest town to your profile it will show on your posts and we won't have to keep asking you.

[Penellype]

I've had cabbage whites on everything too - in fact 2013 is rapidly turning into the year of the caterpillar. They were all over the peas and kohl-rabi, they got inside the nets over my cabbages (never done that before) and yes, I have had them on carrot foliage too.

The peas were an education in themselves - as well as the numerous green cabbage whites on the leaves, and large numbers of pea moth larvae inside the pods I unearthed pale green with a yellow stripe caterpillars (cabbage moth?), brown ones and a couple of spectacularly hairy ones.

I've also had cabbage root fly in the turnips, raspberry beetle in the rasps, magpie moth on the currants and a bad attack of aphids on the green peppers.

Someone remind me why I do this organic gardening thing!

[newboy74]

what to do about cabbage whites and flea beetle

All my little turnips started well but all have tiny holes in the leaves or have been munched completely. I assume from the above that this is flea beetle or cabbage whites? The lovely cabbage whites have been flitting around all week. Being a novice I am at a loss about the best course of action and heart broken again. Apart from netting them what can I do to save my turnips? help!