Cabbage butterflies

@VickiJW (260)
Canada
September 12, 2015 11:29pm CST
Today I planted out my broccoli and winter cauliflower seedlings in their raised bed. I hadn't noticed any of the little white cabbage butterflies for some time, but as soon as I had finished planting there were at least 6 of them around! I'm amazed at their sense of smell, just incredible. I quickly put a big piece of white remay cloth over them, and tacked it down firmly. I really hate having those little caterpillars in my cauliflower and broccoli. Do you?
4 people like this
5 responses
@Angelee_27 (3460)
• United States
13 Sep 15
I've never heard of cabbage butterflies before. Hope they don't harm your garden!
2 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
13 Sep 15
They are a very common (usually) white butterfly which lays eggs on all types of brassica. If you don't grow cabbages, you may not have been aware of them.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Sep 15
@owlwings Yeah, I've never grew cabbage before so I had no idea. @VickiJW Ah, so it's the naughty caterpillars. Are they white too?
2 people like this
@VickiJW (260)
• Canada
13 Sep 15
Well, you don't see the effects immediately as these little white butterflies just delicately hover around, but once their eggs hatch, those caterpillars are like a destruction team!
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
13 Sep 15
Gosh, I'm presuming you mean those little white butterflies? I haven't seen any of those for years.
1 person likes this
@VickiJW (260)
• Canada
13 Sep 15
@valmnz - yes those are the ones! It was amazing, they just came from nowhere, and fluttered around until I put the cloth over the plants, then after a few minutes they all left again!
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
13 Sep 15
@VickiJW so, now you'll be nervously watching your garden
1 person likes this
@VickiJW (260)
• Canada
13 Sep 15
@valmnz I think most veggie gardeners tend to be nervous watchers! It seems there's always danger in the offing, whether it be weather or varmints!
1 person likes this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
13 Sep 15
It is remarkable what a keen sense of smell these small beasties have, isn't it! I am always amazed at how some moths can detect the female moth's pheromones from several miles away and unerringly flock to mate with her!
1 person likes this
@VickiJW (260)
• Canada
13 Sep 15
@owlwings28892 - I hadn't seen them around for so long, I thought they must have given up on my garden! It was just so surprising to see them almost instantly arriving! And they were determined to get at my lovely little seedlings! Anyway, they'll stay covered now that I've become uncomfortably aware of the little creatures. These little butterflies are really pretty, but I don't enjoy their babies!
1 person likes this
• United States
16 Sep 15
i aint planted neither in quite some years, but don't miss that battle. kinda like squash bugs 'n those darned hoppers - if'n ya plant it, they shall come.
• United States
16 Sep 15
@VickiJW i fear those cloths don't survive our winds in these parts. ya might see 'bout gettin' some d.e. 'n sprinklin' 'round - those soft bodied critters don't like such. yepperz, still herdin' grasshoppers 'round here. they're eatin' the grass seeds 's well now, so the pickin's fer the birds 'n such is gettin' mighty thin. on a positive note though, many thousands 've perished from the nolo bait 'n i've high hopes 'f not goin' through this nightmare 'gain next year.
@VickiJW (260)
• Canada
16 Sep 15
@crazyhorseladycx I keep them covered up with remay cloth, and it seems to work. But no doubt these are the tastiest things for a lot of pests, starting with the cutwoms from when they're junior plants! Oh, those wretched grasshoppers of yours! Are they still around? What a plague.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5816)
• Vancouver, Washington
13 Sep 15
yea not to nice to have in your vegetables no matter what kind tell them they don't pay rent and get down the road ha ha