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Is it just mean or are there a lot of cabbage whites this year?

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  • #1

    Is it just mean or are there a lot of cabbage whites this year?

    Every year I'll notice one or two cabbage whites in my garden every day or two, and they'll lay a few eggs. This year I've got like 4-6 in the garden at any one time... and even when I walk about through my suburban town, I'll just see them flying about.

    There are also ridiculous numbers of eggs.

    They were late, but these past few weeks they seem everywhere.

    They done well for others in this hot weather?
    Last edited by Inastate; 04-08-2018, 12:24 PM.
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  • #2
    I've never noticed them in my garden down here before but in the past two weeks always fluttering around but shooing them away doesn't work. A couple of caterpillars found on my greyhounds(cabbages not dogs)but rather than squash them they go over into a farm track to try and survive. I don't mind as it's nice to see butterflies, bees and wasps of any kind doing well for once. The local farmer is a dope and even kills wild flowers along the track, thick as you know what.
    Rob

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    • #3
      I've not grown brassicas before this year (except poor neglected Henry), so it's nice to hear that the swarms of cabbage whites I've got this year aren't normal.

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      • #4
        We have plenty up here, how they are getting inside the netting I do not know, there have been casualties and I don't mean my brassicas....yet.

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        • #5
          I was just thinking the same myself. Lots in my Edinburgh garden, the odd other type, but mostly cabbage whites. None of my immediate neighbours grow any veg in their gardens either.
          Mostly flowers, some fruit and veg, at the seaside in Edinburgh.

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          • #6
            No more than normal in my part of Hamspshire, I love watching them trying to defeat the netting, anything bigger than 7mm net will not stop them

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            • #7
              Much more than normal in my garden
              I expect they are coming back to where they hatched - last year’s sprouts and brocolli
              They ate so much as caterpillars, who wouldn’t want to return to lay eggs
              Unfortunately, I have no crops for them to destroy this year
              Tongue in cheek
              Nannys make memories

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Nannysally99 View Post
                I expect they are coming back to where they hatched
                Hmmm, you might be right.

                I've placed some fruit next to the vegetables, as the fruit was on the grass for the birds and attracting wasps. I've seen them tear the wings off butterflies and carry them away. Brutal but necessary.

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                • #9
                  Lots of cabbage whites here but no brassicas.

                  Also lots of holly blues.
                  Riddlesdown (S Croydon)

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Inastate View Post
                    Hmmm, you might be right.

                    I've placed some fruit next to the vegetables, as the fruit was on the grass for the birds and attracting wasps. I've seen them tear the wings off butterflies and carry them away. Brutal but necessary.
                    Possibly not related but I haven't seen a single cabbage white since I posted this.

                    I've noticed butterflies really freak out around wasps (because like I said, they pull their wings off), and I've attracted a fair number of wasps using fruit. There is a constant presence.

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                    • #11
                      So, I went into my garden yesterday and the wasps are actually harvesting the cabbage white caterpillars! I've seen them pick the caterpillars up and take them away. I also went in before and they were methodically checking the nasturtium leaves.
                      Last edited by Inastate; 14-08-2018, 09:33 AM.

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                      • #12
                        I catch the CWBs in a butterfly net (over 200 this summer), quick squish then leave the bodies on the ground, where the wasps bite off the wings and take the bodies away

                        Each butterfly can lay 1000s eggs
                        Last edited by Two_Sheds; 17-08-2018, 05:38 AM.
                        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                        • #13
                          Not just cabbage whites on the go. There's a smaller sod of a thing which has managed to learn how to go in and out of my protective netting. It looks all white so I'm assuming its not the diamond back moth but my cabbages and caulies are crawling with bright green caterpillars

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                          • #14
                            Bright green and velvety?

                            Small cabbage white
                            All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                            • #15
                              I think there are more of the beastly things here in Northern Ireland too this year.
                              I’m thinking of buying a second mini polytunnel and putting netting overp it next year for brassicas. I’ll keep the cover as a spare for the first tunnel.

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