How to get rid of cabbage butterflies on cabbage using simple methods

Among the parasites that attack cabbage, the butterfly poses a serious threat. It is found throughout Russia and causes significant damage to cabbage plantations.

Folk remedies are very effective against pests – they're always readily available and inexpensive. Experienced gardeners will share tips on how to combat cabbage butterflies using folk remedies.

Description of the pest

The main distinguishing feature from other butterflies is their white wings. Females grow to a wingspan of 5-6 centimeters, making them easy to spot in green crops. These insects become active with warmer weather, usually in late spring or summer. They feed on sweet flower nectar.

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The lifespan is 20 days. During this time, a single female lays 80 to 100 eggs on the undersides of leaves. During a butterfly colony invasion, the number of eggs over the entire season exceeds thousands. In 20 days, this number of insects can easily destroy an entire crop.

The caterpillars that hatch on the leaves are yellow-green with black stripes. Their bodies are covered in a small downy fur and are 3-4 centimeters long. The caterpillars feed on the leaves, consuming all the pulp and leaving the veins behind.

The pupae survive the winter well. They hide in tree bark and attach themselves to the trunks of shrubs. With the arrival of spring, the pests attack and destroy the cabbage crop.

Harm

After feeding on cabbage leaves, the caterpillar leaves its waste products on them. The remaining cabbage heads quickly rot and die. The infestation spreads to neighboring crops, and soon rot appears on them. The butterflies themselves are considered carriers of fungal and viral diseases.

Reasons for occurrence

There's no clear reason for the appearance of cabbage white moths. Their invasion occurs suddenly and occurs in three phases: early, mid, and late summer. Cabbage white moths thrive in dry, warm weather; heat and rain are detrimental. The moths migrate from plantation to plantation, making it impossible to determine their location in advance.

How to get rid of it forever

Folk remedies They are highly effective against caterpillars and cabbage whites. Unlike chemicals, they decompose quickly in the soil, leaving no byproducts and not poisoning crops.

Laundry soap and ash

The simplest and most common insect repellent recipe consists of the following ingredients:

• 100 g of grated soap;
• ½ cup ash;
• 5 liters of water.

Dissolve soap and ash in warm water and let the mixture steep for 1 hour. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray the cabbage from top to bottom, paying particular attention to the undersides of the leaves. Spray the vegetables in the morning to allow the crop to dry by evening. Repeat the treatment every 3-4 days for 2 weeks.

Mustard infusion

Mustard will instantly repel butterflies, and after just the second application, their numbers will noticeably decrease, soon dropping to zero. Dissolve 100 grams of mustard powder in a bucket of hot water. Allow the mixture to cool, then dilute it with clean water in a 1:1 ratio. Spray the cabbage plant over its entire height once every three days. Repeat this procedure for two weeks.

Sagebrush

Wormwood grows everywhere in gardens. It makes an excellent pest repellent. Young plants are picked while they're in bloom and dried briefly in the sun (during the day). The plant branches are shredded and thrown into a bucket. Fill the bucket with water and boil for 10-15 minutes.

After boiling, the resulting decoction is cooled and diluted with water at a ratio of 1:10. Spray the crop once every 3-4 days for 2 weeks.

Vinegar

Some gardeners advise to breed vinegar mixture:

• 3 tbsp of any vinegar;
• 1 tbsp. ground black pepper;
• 2 tbsp. table salt.

Dissolve the ingredients in a bucket of water and spray the vegetables every other day for 2-3 weeks. Vinegar is also effective against larvae, killing them.

Prevention

You can prevent caterpillars and cabbage white butterflies from appearing on your property. The following methods can help:

• Before planting, dig up the soil thoroughly and water it with any insecticide - after winter, pupae may remain in it;
• The area around the cabbage bed is cleared of debris, and the fence is washed with a stream of water to wash away insects;
• After planting cabbage, in the third week, water it with an onion infusion (5-6 onion peels per 5 liters of water). Repeat the watering after a week. The onion peels can be replaced with 200 g of pine cones;
• At the beginning of summer, you can cover the cabbage with a mosquito net to protect it from pests;
• Plant herbs with strong aromas next to cabbage: dill, calendula, thyme. The scent repels insects.

To avoid being caught unawares by pests, cabbage growth is monitored daily. As soon as white wings are noticed in the garden or holes appear on the leaves, more drastic insect control measures are initiated.

Adviсe

Removing cabbage whites from a cabbage patch isn't all that difficult. A few tips will help you do it several times faster:

• caterpillars or larvae can be removed by hand, after putting on gloves;
• Butterflies love sugar, so they prepare bait: dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in a glass of water and place it near the cabbage. When the butterflies gather near the bait, they are caught and destroyed.
• They pour ash paths around the cabbage beds. Wood ash is a reliable aid in the fight against butterflies.

The fight against insects will be successful if treatments are carried out regularly and in the prescribed proportions. In the early stages of an infestation, butterflies can be easily eliminated in just a couple of days, but in advanced cases, eradication can take weeks. Folk remedies are always effective, eliminating the need for chemicals. The harvest will be saved and preserved, and the pests will leave the plot forever.