identification-required-please
Heather Michaels
Posts: 328
Hi everyone,
Can you help me identify these little beggars please, they've systematically destroyed the unnamed plant that I was trying to grow (I can't remember what is was!!) and I kept leaving them thinking that the birds would just pick them off. But for some reason they aren't, the caterpillars are just multiplying and growing.
What are they please and are they poisenous to the birds?
Thanks as always for your help and feedback, Heather
0
Posts
And for my next trick I will try attaching the photo
Here we go:
the pic didn't arrive Heather.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Its on now nutcutlet, I forgot to attach (its been a long day lol!)
Large white butterfly I think, one of the whites anyway. As far as I know the birds do eat them but maybe there's something they like better. Pick them off a throw them on the lawn away from the cabbages (if you have a lawn)
In the sticks near Peterborough
Thanks Nutcutlet. Will get big strong (and more importantly brave!!) other half to pick them off. I'm such a wimp I'll never be a true, all embracing gardener lol I just can't do caterpillars. Thanks again, Heather
Nematodes from organic gardening suppliers ae supposed to be good but you have to have the right conditions for them to thrive. Contact insecticide or covering with netting or fleece to keep the butterflies from laying their eggs in the first pace are other options or spraying with liquid soap or hand picking. A jet ofhose water can also help dislodge them ut it needs persistence whatever you try.
If you see the cabbage white butterflies landing on your plants and laying their small yellow eggs on them you can follow them round, like a real party pooper, squashing as fast as they are laying.
You do tend to look a bit of a loon, but it works.
Thanks for the input Newcastle, I've noticed they can be persistent little critters. I'll soldier on and see how I go, too late sadly for that plant, its a goner
Waterbutts you crack me up! But as for the following them round part, I can do that. Anyone that knows me already thinks I'm slightly crazy anyway so if I did get seen they'd probably just say "oh bless there she goes again" but thankfully I don't have any near neighbours so it'd just be the other half and he's quite used to me now!