what’s eating my plants
....leave some for me lads
I couldn’t believe it when I looked outside and saw, literally every cabbage plant, stripped. What is left over, probably hasn’t got long left.
This little git is the catterpillar and will eventually become a butterfly – as I’m sure you already know. But how, domestically and non chemically do I deal with the little insect.
The only solution is to pick them off and cover with a horticultural fleece to prevent them returning to their f-l-avoured leaf. I’d better get started on my 100 plants, while I have some left!
Apart from the obvious signs one will know if it is catterpillar [in this case] because they cannot eat the large veins of the plant as its mouth parts are not big enough. That said if the catterpillars are not there be careful, not to confuse the damage with what could be that of birds… you’ll know this because the bites [holes] are not interveinal [though the veins] as their mouth parts can eat through any part of the leaf.
{ all posts, grow your own }
Is there no way to deter caterpillars? You have to pick them off one by one?
I checked my little horse-chestnut trees at the weekend and they seem to be doing okay but don’t look as lively as they did a month and a half ago.
Here’s a pic of them. They’re nearly a year old now!
http://flickr.com/photos/pixievondust/2843071036/
Marie
unless your into the commercial/ chemical usage [?!!]. Yip pick ‘em off one by one!
Funny thing is insects are quite fussy and want the juicy stuff – the new growth on the cabbages is just ripe – where the aesculus hippocastanum [horse chestnut] is slightly wood-ier.
It’s a beautiful picture. My advice – go into the phoenix park [castleknock entrance and take a look at just inside the gates] – massive versions of what you have there!!
I await your decision on their future!
slán go minic
peter