caterpillars

[gilley]

Hi,

Been down my plot today and my sprouts are full of caterpillars.  Anyone have any clues what to do.

Cheers

[gilley]

[Lauren S]

Squish them first.
Do you have them netted?

[gilley]

No they are not netted any more. they were until the pigeons stopped eating them!!!!!!!
Too many to squash!!!

[dtw]

Can they be hoovered up with one of those battery powered dustbuster things?
Or do they hold onto the leaf too hard?

I haven't seen any caterpillars this year.  :D

[shambasarfi]

Yes, we had two types of caterpillars on our broccoli - the ones my Mum used to call "Army Caterpillars" because they club together in one big lot, as bold as brass, on top of the leaves and are striped and some small green ones who hide on the underside of the leaves.

You just have to be vigilant and pick them off and squash them.  I don't think anyone having an allotment can be squirmy about creepy crawlies because you're going to come up against them time after time!!

Being born and brought up in Kenya, they don't worry me; in fact I used to collect them in a shoe box and see what moth or butterfly they would turn into!

Shamba

[Flunky]

i had caterpillas on my cabbage. They were like the seen in Zulu with Michael Cain. Fousands of em. I had wait till I saw the whites of their eyes. stampeding all over my veggies. Took about 20 slugs off my potatoe plants as well, last night. chickens loved em.

[tim]

So now I know - couldn't relate Shamba to Flitwick.

dtw - No caterpillars? Must be the only person in the UK this year!! Hoover? No way!

And watch out - the C/Ws are still about. And in 5 days, the Cats will be about again!!

PS They almost ALL start on the undersides - when on top it's usually too late.