Bulbs Flower Basics Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens Flower Garden Garden Furniture Garden Gnomes Garden Seeds Garden Sheds Garden Statues Garden Tools & Supplies Gardening Basics Green & Organic Groundcovers & Vines Growing Annuals Growing Basil Growing Beans Growing Berries Growing Blueberries Growing Cactus Growing Corn Growing Cotton Growing Edibles Growing Flowers Growing Garlic Growing Grapes Growing Grass Growing Herbs Growing Jasmine Growing Mint Growing Mushrooms Orchids Growing Peanuts Growing Perennials Growing Plants Growing Rosemary Growing Roses Growing Strawberries Growing Sunflowers Growing Thyme Growing Tomatoes Growing Tulips Growing Vegetables Herb Basics Herb Garden Indoor Growing Landscaping Basics Landscaping Patios Landscaping Plants Landscaping Shrubs Landscaping Trees Landscaping Walks & Pathways Lawn Basics Lawn Maintenance Lawn Mowers Lawn Ornaments Lawn Planting Lawn Tools Outdoor Growing Overall Landscape Planning Pests, Weeds & Problems Plant Basics Rock Garden Rose Garden Shrubs Soil Specialty Gardens Trees Vegetable Garden Yard Maintenance

How to Get Rid of Caterpillars in a Vegetable Garden

How to Start Lemon Seeds Indoors - watch on youtube
How to Get Rid of Caterpillars in a Vegetable Garden

How to Get Rid of Caterpillars in a Vegetable Garden. When caterpillars invade your vegetable garden, you will need a solution--fast. Caterpillars can do a lot of damage in a small amount of time. Signs of a caterpillar invasion include chewed leaves and misshapen fruits. Non-toxic, effective controls are available to reduce or eliminate the...

When caterpillars invade your vegetable garden, you will need a solution--fast. Caterpillars can do a lot of damage in a small amount of time. Signs of a caterpillar invasion include chewed leaves and misshapen fruits. Non-toxic, effective controls are available to reduce or eliminate the destruction caused by these common garden pests.
Things You'll Need
Small bucket or large cup
Rubber gloves
Garden sprayer and appropriate treatment
Trichogramma wasp cocoons
How To Get Rid Of Caterpillars In Your Garden
Begin with a physical attack. Early morning or late evening are the prime caterpillar hunting times. Look on the underside of leaves, flicking off anything that looks like an egg cluster, and pick off any adult caterpillars. Drop them into an empty cup and release them several hundred yards away from your vegetable garden. You can also drop them into soapy water to kill them.
Spray with an earth-friendly bacterial. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is favored by many gardeners because it is selective; it is safe for many beneficial insects as well as fish, birds and mammals. It is mixed with water.
Release the parasites. Trichogramma wasps are small parasites that feed on the eggs of moths and caterpillars. When you purchase Trichogramma wasps, they will arrive inside parasitized moth eggs. Hang the eggs in your garden and wait for them to hatch. There are several species of Trichogramma; T. pretiosum is used on vegetable and field crops.
Practice good garden hygiene. Remove dead leaves and debris at the end of the season and prune and dispose of any diseased plants. Disinfect tools regularly.
Tips & Warnings
Wait until you see caterpillars before releasing beneficial insects. If you release them without a tempting food supply, they will fly off in search of better grounds.
Many insecticides and other chemicals are toxic to pollinating bees and should not be used on flowering plants.

Check out these related posts