White cabbage butterfly

They are really testing my patience…..i must be getting 3 or 4 a day trying it on with my brocollis

little scrotes

 

We don't grow any Brassicas, but I counted 20 cabbage whites in the garden this morning. Don't know where they are coming from as there is no Rape grown anywhere nearby either.

 

See them round here but not many brassicas grown around here.

Butterflies are okay it's the caterpillars or the eggs you need to look out for.

 

I got some environmesh coming tomorrow to cover them up……as yet no eggs or pillars on them and i got nine good heads of brocolli to protect, but no caulis yet

 

So the butterflies are not ok then are they, cause without them, theres no eggs or pillars……..

 

Once they've been landing on yer brassicas and flown away it's not long then before you'll see devastating damage caused by the little green grubs that have been soon hatched.
I always net mine but as JWK says one always finds a way into the net somehow.
I get 3 main pests:-
1, slugs
2, pigeons
3, cabbage whites.
Other pests are available.

 

Luckily i dont get any slugs, due to raised beds and gravelled walkway all the way round……mine have all been netted so no issues with pigeons, but the netting is a lil wide, so ordered new mesh which is coming tmrw…….they will be double netted then, so hopefully no issues when im back upstairs in the office from wednesday

ive also got an old bed sheet over them at the moment, shading them from the heat…….hopefully its masking their smell to the whiteys

 

I used to grow quite a large area of brssicas and used to spend lots of time walking amongst them and turning the leaves over, squashing the eggs or young caterpillars.
The area was too big to actually net and some damage was expected.

Most people now only grow small amounts so I guess netting is a viable proposition but I still think a daily look around is relevant, but hampered by the net.

 

This is my first year of growing so its a learning curve for me. Ive already built a new area for next years brassicas which will only need netting across the front, so a lot harder for the blighters to get inside and cause damage…….the net will be fixed to the framework with velcro around all 4 sides.

 

Ive turned into a sharp shooter with the flick of the tea towel…….