Cabbage whites

[pjzxr]

Hello,
New here, so apologies if this has been covered before.
I'm trying to find out HOW the damned Cabbage Whites find my brassicas. My Brussels and Broccolli have been destroyed AGAIN.
If anybody knows how it is the seek out the plants then I can plan a deterrent. Netting is ugly, and they always seem to get in, and fleece isn't really an option.
Dusting with Derris is an "after the fact" cure, but I'd like to stop the butterflies 1st. Do they use sight or smell to find our food??
Thanks in advance.
Pj

[pickledtink]

Heat seeking missiles.
Seriously I dunno but it's probably a combination of smell and visual. Apart from covering the leaves the only option is vigilance. Daily checking the leaves and ( forgive me if I get too technical here) squidging the egg clusters on the undersides before they hatch or the mini caterpillars before the eat too much.
It's a jungle out here......

[rustylady]

Hello,
New here, so apologies if this has been covered before.
I'm trying to find out HOW the damned Cabbage Whites find my brassicas. My Brussels and Broccolli have been destroyed AGAIN.
If anybody knows how it is the seek out the plants then I can plan a deterrent. Netting is ugly, and they always seem to get in, and fleece isn't really an option.
Dusting with Derris is an "after the fact" cure, but I'd like to stop the butterflies 1st. Do they use sight or smell to find our food??
Thanks in advance.
Pj

It's not just cabbage whites, I've been away from my allotment 3 weeks due to a new grandchild, and my brassicas look like lace curtains! At least 3 different types of caterpillar. Suppose fine netting or fleece is the only option apart from daily visits and squashing eggs.

[Snadger]

Funny, this year there seems to have been loads of cabbage whites about but I have had very little damage to brasicas! I have had some netted because of pidgeons, but it was coarse netting and the butterflies flew straight through it. Gardening is a strange hobby sometimes! I have done everything to deter carrot fly but the only carrots worth keeping are the ones I covered with fleece.

[williams4]

Funny, this year there seems to have been loads of cabbage whites about but I have had very little damage to brasicas! I have had some netted because of pidgeons, but it was coarse netting and the butterflies flew straight through it. Gardening is a strange hobby sometimes! I have done everything to deter carrot fly but the only carrots worth keeping are the ones I covered with fleece.

Snadger you really are lucky, the caterpillers really descimated my brassicas this year, as it is my first year at growing veg i will be far more vigilant next year and try and alsom cover them with some mesh. hopefully that will stop the little b****rs.

[Earthbabe]

My kale was shredded last year initially by caterpillars and then by pigeons. I did manage to get plenty off but this year all will be netted. When I first put the plants out they were covered in fleece and I still managed to get a few caterpillars. I also put down tomato pinchings which seem to have helped.

Seriously though fine mesh netting is a good option because it is so "organic" and probably the best option over a cage type structure to allow plenty of room for growth.

[pjzxr]

I used netting this year, 10mm square holes, and they just flew on through. Took great satisfaction in squishing them when they got trapped tho'. Tried rubbing off the eggs, squishing the caterpillars,or picking them off and putting them on the bird feeder, and dusting with derris. But I've about 50 brussels, caulis and broccili, along with 5 other veg beds, a small orchard, family garden, shrubbery, the house and my two year old to look after also, so daily inspections are out of the question. I'll do some more research, and post if I find out the "search and lay" mechanism they use.

[dexterdoglancashire]

Everyone you have my sympathies! I finally gave in to the cabbage white re: cabbage, broccoil and sprouts earlier on in the summer!
Little b*****s! I did the daily checks and covered them in netting, but they still managed to get through! Running around the back garden shouting at them had no effect (not even first thing in a morning in my PJs! )
I was so gutted that I've decided not to grow any next year! DDL

[vicki]

Oh DDL, don't give up! I'm determined to beat them next year!

[Earthbabe]

That's a shame DDL. I wouldn't be without my greens espesh in the winter. Fortunately I've not had that level of problems but I would be gutted too if it happened to me.

I thought I read something about a plant that attracts them which would be good for companion planting. Only problem is I can't remember where or what. Will have a think and probably end up posting at 2 in the morning given the way my brain works.

[dexterdoglancashire]

There are lots of other veg I want to grow in my small back garden, so it isn't much of a hardship - I was only growing the sprouts for other people - I hate them! DDL

[Snadger]

There are lots of other veg I want to grow in my small back garden, so it isn't much of a hardship - I was only growing the sprouts for other people - I hate them! DDL

So you are going to take brassicas out of your crop rotation! That should be interesting!

I have loads of nastutiums growing all over my lotty....maybe the peppery taste puts them off? I noticed the butterflies didn't home in on the brassicas, they just seem to start at the botom of the allotment and land on one crop at a time working their way up until something took their fancy!

[dexterdoglancashire]

methinks, jasper and his 12 bore shotgun may work next year! DDL

[Mrs Dobby]

Surely there'd be more 'holes' in the brassicas from shotgun shot than from cabbage whites DDL

[dexterdoglancashire]

Mine looked like string vests by the time those little darlings had done their worst! DDL the gun could only minor damage compared!