Please see my profile image and tell me what the hell this grub is I found it on the lottie having a wonder across the black sheeting I have ...it's about 2 inches long with pincers at the back but was told not to let it loose by fellow lotties...please get back ASAP so I can either cage it or let him go...
Don't know what it is, but if it has pincers it must be carnivorous and therefore a help rather than a hindrance on your plot I'd have thought. :-\
Sorry salad muncher, I have never seen this grub before. Hopefully someone with the know will be able to help you soon! Good luck
:D
Just taken a look at what he is up tp and he seems to be spinning a nest or what ever you call it... fellow lottie holder has done gardening as a proffesion and studied bug and things he had never seen it hence told me to look it up but cant find anything ...fingers crossed off to pub hope someone can give an answer by tomorrow.
Hi there,
Try this website:
http://www.whatsthiscaterpillar.co.uk/
I think you'll find it's one of the hawkmoth caterpillars as many of them have 'false' pincers at their rear ends.
Hope this helps.
I was reading that one can make a spray against caterpillars made from crushed chillies but that it would be ILLEGAL to do so. I planted nastirtiums all over my plot to discourage the little darlings but it's not worked and they are all over my broccoli :( So it looks like I might be trying the chilli method - where's me goggles ;D
There is a daftly drafted law forbidding the production of all pesticides unless you have a licence. Natural pesticides should have been excluded (with further exclusions e.g. tobacco if necessary.)
I haven't seen any pesticide police round the allotments, have you?
Quote from: redclanger on July 16, 2005, 17:07:13
There is a daftly drafted law forbidding the production of all pesticides unless you have a licence. Natural pesticides should have been excluded (with further exclusions e.g. tobacco if necessary.)
When you look into the Control Of Pesticides Regulations, they do seem to be designed to stop exploitation by the large commercial companies, and the main aims are: (as quoted)
To protect the health of human beings, creatures and plants;
To safeguard the environment;
To secure safe, efficient and humane methods of controlling pests; and
To make information about pesticides available to the public.
This seems reasonable to me.
Quote from: Robert_Brenchley on July 16, 2005, 23:38:23
I haven't seen any pesticide police round the allotments, have you?
I think it's a bit unfair to work on the principle that getting caught is the offence though.
Ah, buit that is the policy I work on whilst boiling my potato haulms, fermenting my ivy etc - with a wild eyed I've imbibed toio much of this stuff look on my face 8)
wardy, i have seem so many white butterflies around this weekend and yes, some of my broccoli has been munched :(
i was fearing the very worst for the next door cabbage bed - large leaves in holes also. however, it turns out the snails have been at it. crushed some snails, put down some pellets and not a caterpillar in sight. might it be the dill growing between that they don't fancy? i sure hope so, and as dill likes cabbage and cabbage likes dill, i shall have the two together from now til eternity ;D