Durgan, the white butterflies

**pinetree** · 07-05-2011, 03:16 PM

have invaded the gardens, trees, lawn, they are everywhere.

i remember seeing an old post you said "watch for the white butterflies". Now what do you do?

We had zero yesterday, now there must be 100 of them.

**Durgan** · 07-05-2011, 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by pinetree

have invaded the gardens, trees, lawn, they are everywhere.

i remember seeing an old post you said "watch for the white butterflies". Now what do you do?

We had zero yesterday, now there must be 100 of them.

Trouble. The white butterfly attacks the cabbages, a "cole" crop, members of the brassicae family. They lay eggs around the base of the cabbages and similar produce, producing white worms that cause much damage. When processing the produce one must look for the worms, and if selling people wont buy any damaged produce.

The eggs can be washed off daily with a strong stream of water with difficulty. Various sprays kill the larvae, but I try to avoid. The cabbages can be covered with a fine mesh cloth with difficulty.

The butterfly can be sprayed in the air with malathion, but they are hard to hit and it is usually very hot when this pest appears. Netting is another method but one has to be quick.

I truly dread this white pest. There is also a grey one about the same size and just as miserable to deal with.

I also tried placing wood ash around the base of the plant and also plain table salt. Diatomaceous earth is also worth a try. I got a bag last year from a seed and feed supplier. It is a very fine powder, that must not breathed into the lungs so use a mask.

So far this year I have only had one white butterfly, and it disappeared before I took any action. Usually I have several hundred over the season, and often 10 to 20 in the yard at the same time.

There is no simple solution if one has a large field of cabbages except for heavy spraying.

Growing a backyard garden one soon learns that there has to be heavy insecticidal use amongst commercial growers. Perfect produce indicates much spraying is usually involved.

http://cubits.org/Beginners/thread/view/711/ Here is a link about cubits. It is provably more information than required but interesting.

**Missy** · 07-05-2011, 05:42 PM

PineTree, they have made their way down here too. I have found DE (Diatomaceous Earth) to be effective. And safe for your cats as well, they can ingest it and have no trouble with it. It's irritating though, so wear the mask.

**pinetree** · 07-06-2011, 01:46 PM

I guess zone 5 has all the butterflies!

Thanks to both of you, I guess we will try the DE, dirt. If its safe around my cats it seems like a better optiion than trying to spray. I really dont want to spray chemicals if I dont need them.

We might try netting some also, we have a mess of them now, it shouldn't take long to catch alot of them. I never knew they caused so much damage.

**zakity** · 07-06-2011, 07:36 PM

Yep, DE is safe for cats. We dust the cats with it to help keep the fleas off them. And, as they lick it off themselves when they are cleaning themselves, it will get rid of parasites in their tummies.

**frugalfranny** · 07-07-2011, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by Durgan

I truly dread this white pest. There is also a grey one about the same size and just as miserable to deal with.

The white ones haven't gotten here YET.......that I have seen (but we have them too)....but I have the 'grey' one or a yuk brown moth here now.......gobs of them.

They fly up out of my lawn even.........I have NEVER had so many bugs and problems with them like this year.......must have been our wet spring.

I have had to resort to chemicals.............and it has been years for that...........at this rate. (my roses usually get 'something')

**pinetree** · 07-07-2011, 01:41 PM

Looks like the butterflies have been around for awhile, we are pulling 1/2- 1 inch worms off the cabbage. The eggs are everywhere.

Has anyone tried bt spray? I heard it while watching a P Allen Smith show the other day. Its suppose to be organic.

The bugs here are bad also, I had black aphids on my cherry trees, they almost looked like black leaves instead of green, next the flea beetles wiped out 2 tomato, 2 green pepper plants. Stripped the entire plant.

We bought a mess of lady bugs so I have them everywhere, I'm kinda surprised they stuck around, but they have a feast with all those aphids.

I really don't want those gray ones, they sound even worse.

**krbshappy71** · 07-07-2011, 01:57 PM

aww, I was just admiring them in my alley while weeding!

I've got grasshoppers. I will trade you white butterflies for my grasshoppers. I HATE THEM. They destroyed everything last year and are at it again this year.

**pinetree** · 07-08-2011, 01:38 PM

Oh man... please dont tell me that I have them to look forward to, I'll keep the butterflies...lol

I dont get too many grasshoppers, the cats like playing with them, and chase them off.

**frugalfranny** · 07-09-2011, 04:07 PM

Wellllllll......the white ones have landed.......

Saw a few around while watering this week.........

CRAP........it has really been a BUGGY YEAR!!!

I even have something eating just the sides of my
peony leaves.........the nibbles are so even it makes them
look like I have some new kind........I am not a happy
gardener this year!!