Coping with Caterpillars

 Coping with Caterpillars organically

 Have you noticed that lots of caterpillars are munching their way through your garden? Click here to find out how to deal with caterpillars in your organic garden…

 There are lots of butterflies and moths flitting about our garden at present, busily laying eggs before winter sets in.

 Of course, before you know it, the eggs have hatched out into hungry babies. Caterpillars in all shapes, colour and growing bigger by the mouthful.

Last night I picked 23 looper caterpillars off one Giant Red Mustard plant that was tucked away down the back of the garden.  It was a mess, just a network of veins is all that was left of a flourishing plant. So, what can you do about these silent, hungry  eating machines to ensure you get to eat your vegies too? 

1. Prevention is better than a cure. Cover up your prized vegies so the butterflies and moths can’t get at them. Netting of any kind will work, as long as it has fine holes. I use frost protection fabric, 30% shade cloth or fly wire. Tie it over the plant like a bonbon  or secure it over a tunnel made from wire or irrigation tubing. You can also pirouette through the garden with a butterfly net to catch the devils before they do any damage.
2. Companion plant Plant vegies in blocks or alternate rows to confuse the insects and prevent mass infestation.
3. Biological control Is all about attracting and welcoming the predators into the garden using companion planting as above, providing nesting and resting for birds, hidey holes for lizards and nectar for beneficial insects. Plant flowering plants nearby to attract insect predators. Sweet alyssum, lobelia and other small flowers are a good Autumn choice.
4. Manual removal Picking off the crawlers and squashing them or dropping them into a bucket of hot water works a treat. Later you can add this to your compost pile for some nutritious bug juice.
5. Building immunity Build you plant immunity to insect attack by spraying with Vitaguard 3 weekly or using Seachange  seaweed solution. Remember to keep your vegies or herbs growing actively and free from water or heat stress as they give off scents that attract insects at these times.
6. Spraying to kill the caterpillars can be done with Dipel. This is a bacteria which is poisonous to caterpillars only. OR, if you are a bit concerned about the use of Dipel, try Eco Neem. It controls grasshoppers, aphids and lawn grubs too.