What's noshing my brassicas? :frown face:

Ive spotted the occasional small hole in my broccoli leaves and Im assuming that's the cabbage white, but what is scoffing the green from the leaves? There is similar but less advanced damage on the lower leaves of my pak choi too.

 

Do you live near the coast ? Could be diamond backed moths.

 

Looks like larvae damage from sawfly or something similar, tiny little green caterpillar type things living under the leaf near the damage or in rolled up bits of leaf.

 

Thanks for the replies and the suggestions!

Nope to living on the coast, Im in the Big Smoke.

I looked extra carefully this evening and I cant see any tiny green caterpillars...

Did remove a few small white patches though- cabbage white eggs, so it wasnt an entirely wasted search.


There isnt any leaf rolling, I hope it isnt Sawfly larvae... Ive just had a google, Im not good with icky things.

 

Looks to me like leaf miner

 

Pete has it nailed, leaf miner. Use a systemic insecticide suitable for use on edible plants.:gnthb:

 

Thank you both for the ID.

I dont use chemicals in the garden and Im reluctant to net off a section as it looks so ugly.

The broccoli obviously has many more months to grow, will they be ok if I just leave them to look after themselves or do you have any alternative advice for deterring the bugs?

 

Try neem or savon noir ( though I think neem may work better for that type of pest)

 

Louise, you're a bit of a hippy! :D

I didnt get much joy trying to source neem locally, but my local health food shop has savon noir, but its for use on skin?

Could you advise me on how could I adapt and use it for the garden?

 

Can't do that its illegal, so you wouldn't make it into a solution & spray it on, would you.

 

You wont be happy until everyone is in handcuffs will you! :D

 

I'm keeping my eye on em :hehe:

Hows yer brassicas then ?

 

No further damage actually.

The bugs must have cleared off. Or blown off- its very gusty here today.

 

Nice one. Had me first babbage today. Others havnt hearted up because of the potatoes swamping em.

 

after checking in a very useful book i have allotment handbook by caroline foley pls let me point out i am only garden grower to the suggestion in there is to pick off the affected leaves and destroying them but no suggestion of it doing any harm to yourselves