White butterflies

[Gardening with Rabbits]

White butterflies in the garden I read that Bacillus Thuringiensis or Bt is safe and will not kill earthworms and good bugs. Is this true? is it really safe for people and have you used it before?

I just read more and it is bad, isn't it???

 

[digitS']

I don't know that it is "good," GwR. It would be "better" if it was more targeted and it, apparently, is targeted, at best, at leaf-eating caterpillars.

There are leaf-eating caterpillars we kind of enjoy having around since nearly all butterflies start out that way.

We are told that it isn't really dangerous to other life. Here is the Material Safety Data Sheet: (link).

I have used it quite a few times for the caterpillars in cabbage.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

BT is very effective and organic. The white moths are laying eggs on your brassicas which will turn in to harmless but gross to eat, worms.

 

[hoodat]

Unfortunately BT is becoming less effective every year since Monsanto began incorporating it into the plants' DNA. Caterpillars are developing a resistance to it.
The local yellow jackets take care of most of my cabbage worms.

 

[digitS']

I once had a terrible year with cabbage worms - this was pre-Bt. Well, pre me knowing anything about using it. These years have happened since but I didn't want to use any of the conventional insecticides and that was all that I knew about. I remember thinking about nicotine but only got as far as a thought.

The worms really just destroyed the heads despite my best efforts to pick them off.

The next year, the yellow jackets were so thick in my garden that it was crazy out there! I found 2 cabbage worms that year. Yellow jackets are kind of dangerous critters to quite a few things -- humans, caterpillars, honey bees . . .

It is interesting in some way that the original genetically engineered crop with Bt was tobacco.

Steve

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I downloaded this book a few years ago and ended up buying it. http://www.pdfbook.co.ke/details.ph...egory=Gardening&eid=26576&type=Book&popular=1

On page 178 shows what I am going to do about the white butterflies. I am going to buy tulle fabric, put sticks in the ground around the area where the cabbage is and then put jars on top of the sticks so that the netting will not fall through. Going to attach one end of the netting to a board so I can pick that end up and back to get in to work, but I am going to weed really good and put some mulch down, spray the plants with soapy water and inspect the leaves to make sure no eggs are there already and water can get through. I have more cabbage to plant today. Already one of my older ones has died and they have nails next to them for cut worms, but I think it was cut because the nail was not close enough. I am not sure it will work for broccoli. It would if you can get enough netting. You can sew it together. I want to start a fall garden and I am going to use this netting for my seedlings until time to put in the garden and then maybe the butterflies will be gone. I only have 6 puny broccoli plants that I am getting ready to plant, but I want a lot for fall.

 

[bj taylor]

i'm getting quite a few cabbage worms on my red cabbage now. after this morning's harvest, I've only got one left so i'm not too worried. they had eaten a fair amount of the exterior leaves but the head itself has been undamaged thankfully. those cabbage have to get out of there anyway, it's time for the okra to go in.

 

[momofdrew]

I now use food grade diamatious earth [DE] it kills the larva before they eat the hearts out of my cabbages...