How to get rid of cabbage caterpillars using folk remedies

Cabbage butterflies and their larvae (caterpillars) are attracted to the sap of cruciferous crops, particularly cabbage. Cabbage butterflies lay eggs, which hatch into voracious larvae capable of devouring an entire head of cabbage in a matter of days. These pests can be controlled using folk remedies aimed at destroying egg clutches and reducing the caterpillar population.

A few words about the life of caterpillars

A caterpillar is part of the butterfly's life cycle. There are two species of butterflies that attack cabbage: the cabbage white butterfly (also known as the cabbage white butterfly) and the cutworm. Their caterpillars, upon maturity, transform into attractive winged insects. Until then, they are voracious creatures that chew numerous passages through cabbage leaves, leaving traces of their activity. Where the caterpillar's path passes, decay begins. Eventually, the cabbage spoils from the inside, becoming covered in black fungal lesions. Cabbage damaged by caterpillars is no longer edible, as toxins accumulate in the leaves.

Cabbage whites and cutworms lay their eggs on the undersides of the lowest cabbage leaves. Over the summer, they can produce up to four generations (up to 300!) of small caterpillars, which are yellowish-green (whites) or greenish-brown (cutworms). The second generation, which emerges in midsummer, just as the cabbage heads begin to grow, poses a significant threat.

Methods of combating caterpillars

There are various ways to get rid of harmful insects. If caterpillars are infested, biological or chemical insecticides are used. However, if the pest population is small, it's relatively easy to eliminate them using folk remedies.

The most effective recipes

Soap-ash solution. Dissolve 200 grams of grated laundry soap in a bucket of water (10 liters). You can use liquid dishwashing detergent or tar shampoo. Add a cup of ash to the soap mixture. Generously water the cabbage with the resulting solution. After treatment, the foliage will be covered with a thin, slippery film, preventing caterpillars from moving. This solution will repel butterflies with a strong, unpleasant odor.

Infusion of onion peel. Pour boiling water over 250-300 grams of onion peels and let them steep for a couple of days. Then dilute the concentrate with two liters of cold water and add 50 milliliters of soap. Spray the resulting mixture over the plants. Onion peels have a very strong onion aroma, which many pests dislike.

Tobacco infusion. Parasites hate the smell of tobacco or shag, so you can get rid of these pests by preparing an infusion of these ingredients. To make a natural insecticide, take 40 grams of tobacco (or shag) dust, add water, and let it steep for 2-3 days. Then strain the solution, mix it with two liters of water, and add liquid soap (for better adhesion). Treat plants with this solution, not only brassicas but also nearby plants.

Black pepper remedy. Add 30 grams of peppercorns to a simmer and boil for 10-15 minutes. Then let the mixture steep for a couple of days. Before use, add a little grated soap to the solution.

Valerian solution. Dilute 20 drops of valerian in a liter of cold water – the insecticide is ready! Apply to cabbage crops immediately after preparation.

A decoction of hot pepper. Finely chop 5-7 hot peppers and add water. Boil the mixture for 30 minutes. Then let the infusion steep until it cools completely. Water the cabbage plants with the prepared infusion.

Herbal infusions and decoctions

Delphinium decoction. Add 100-200 grams of dried delphinium parts (roots or above-ground parts) to ten liters of water and let sit in a dark place for 2-3 days. Boil the infusion for 1.5-2 hours, then cool and strain. Spray the cabbage with the prepared solution as soon as the first larvae appear.

Burdock tincture. This plant contains substances toxic to harmful insects, affecting their central nervous system. Burdock leaves are finely chopped, covered with warm water, and left to steep for 5-7 days until the mixture ferments. The concentrate is then strained and used generously to water the soil beneath the bushes and spray the cabbage heads themselves. Caterpillars, having tasted the sweet liquid, die a painful death.

Infusion of burdock and garlic. Burdock or garlic infusions can help protect roots from being eaten by soil pests. For a burdock-based insecticide, take 200-400 grams of leaves, crush them, and add water. The life-saving remedy will be ready for use in 3-4 days. To prepare a garlic infusion, you'll need 10 heads of fresh garlic, crush them to a pulp, and add 5 liters of water. Let the mixture steep for a couple of days. Then strain it and water the soil around the base of the bushes, as well as the heads themselves.

Tomato tops. Pour five liters of boiling water over tomato plant debris and let it steep for one day. Then boil the mixture for 20-30 minutes, strain, and dilute with water in a 1:2 ratio. Spray the cabbage bed with the solution. For best results, add tar soap to the mixture.

Infusion of potato tops. The collected potato plant remains (600-700 grams) are crushed and then infused for 2-3 days in a bucket of water. The infusion is then strained, grated soap is added, and the plantings are sprayed with the mixture.

Tansy solution. You can collect tansy flowers, crush them, and add them to road dust. The resulting mixture is used to dust cabbage. To prepare an infusion, finely chop the tansy (200-300 grams) and add 5 liters of water. The solution can be used immediately or allowed to steep for several hours for a more powerful effect.

Camomile tea. Crush 200 grams of wild chamomile flowers and steep them in a liter of water for 20 hours. Then strain the mixture and add a small amount of liquid soap. Spray the mixture on the plants attacked by caterpillars.

Alternative methods of dealing with caterpillars

A mixture of flour and soda. These two substances are lethal to caterpillars if ingested. Gardeners mix flour and baking soda, adding cruciferous pollen to attract pests. The resulting mixture is sprinkled on cabbage leaves, paying particular attention to areas where insects congregate. Caterpillars that consume this "food" will soon die.

Eggshell. Many gardeners use ordinary eggshells to repel butterflies from their plots. They hang them on pegs in various places around the garden. Butterflies fly around the eggshells. The insects believe this territory already belongs to other insects, so they fly away in search of "unconquered" garden plots.

Vinegar solution. An effective remedy against caterpillars is prepared using 70% vinegar essence. You'll need a tablespoon of vinegar per bucket of water.

Using tomato stepsons. The simplest, yet very effective, method is to place side shoots plucked from tomato plants on the heads of cabbage. They emit a strong, insect-repellent aroma that will mask the cabbage smell, and the butterfly will fly away. It's important to keep the tomato tops fresh, so as the side shoots dry out, replace them with new ones.

Chicken droppings. Add 200 grams of chicken manure to a bucket of water and let it steep. After 24 hours, the infusion is ready for use.

Lime.Dry powder is scattered between the cabbage rows. Lime can be replaced with mustard powder.

Biological methods

Butterflies and caterpillars are successfully destroyed by their natural enemies – birds and larger predatory insects.

Bird species that are most useful in pest control:

• starling;
• tit;
• woodpecker;
• martin;
• swift;
• flycatcher;
• redstart;
• rook.

Amphibians:

• frog and toad.

Predatory insects:

• parasitoid wasp;
• hoverfly;
• ladybug;
• spiders;
• Phytoseiulus (predatory spider);
• tachin, hedgehog;
• Fire beetle;
• mantis;
• bug;
• wasp;
• ground beetle.

You can attract birds by building birdhouses and feeders in garden trees. You can also spray cabbage with syrup or sugar water—the sweet smell will attract wasps and ants, who, upon seeing the small insects, will rush to feast on them.

Predators can be lured with aromatic herbs (aster, coriander, fennel, yarrow, dill, and many others). Their sweet scent will attract predators and quickly catch the harmful caterpillars.

Helper plants

Many herbs repel caterpillars (and other garden pests) with their pungent odor. Insects cannot tolerate these plants and quickly retreat from the foul-smelling area. Herbaceous enemies of caterpillars include:

• green crops (mint, lemon balm, parsley, basil, onions, garlic);
• medicinal herbs (tansy, basil, sage);
• flowers (marigolds, calendula);
• weeds (nettles).

Flowers are typically planted around the perimeter of a garden plot, creating a protective ring around cabbage and other crops. Garlic is placed along cabbage beds to mask the cabbage's pungent aroma. And freshly cut nettles can serve several useful purposes: they repel caterpillars with their pungent odor, protect the soil from moisture evaporation (as mulch), and enrich the soil with nutrients (as they rot).

Prevention

https://youtu.be/VO-cgicoeH0

It's entirely possible to prevent caterpillars from appearing on your property. To do so, you need to:

1. Cover the beds with netting, thin tulle or spunbond, which will prevent butterflies from laying eggs in the leaves from reaching the cabbage.
2. When a weed appears, remove it immediately, as it attracts butterflies.
3. Place useful plants near the cabbage bed.
4. Regularly inspect the underside of cabbage leaves and promptly remove any egg clutches.
5. Conduct preventive spraying with insecticides in a timely manner.
6. Strengthen plant immunity with the help of useful fertilizers.
7. Attract natural enemies of caterpillars to the site (birds, insects).
8. Mulch the soil with fragrant herbs and pine needles - butterflies will not even fly near such an area.
9. In the fall, after harvesting, completely clear the area of ​​plant debris and dig the soil deeply - this will get rid of pests hiding in the ground.

Reviews

Marina

Sprinkling cabbage with wood ash is effective against various pests. Tomato tops also help confuse cabbage moths. We line the beds with tomato shoots, potato tops, and onion and garlic shoots. Butterflies and caterpillars dislike the smell of these plants. I've also noticed that after watering with cold water, the caterpillar population decreases.

 

Lyudmila

As a preventative measure, I always use dried citrus peels. In the evening or early morning, I spray the cabbage with a soapy solution, then mix crushed orange or lemon peels with ash and sprinkle them on the heads. You can also sprinkle the soil with ash. Butterflies don't like the scent of citrus, and then they move their egg laying area to another location.

Conclusion

Folk remedies against caterpillars do not contain carcinogens and are therefore completely harmless to plants and humans. Cabbage grown without chemicals is safe to eat. At first glance, recipes containing very simple, natural ingredients seem ineffective. However, as the experience of millions of gardeners shows, using folk methods to kill caterpillars is, in most cases, worth the risk.