All About Caterpillars in Your Garden
By learning about the many caterpillars that inhabit your veggie & fruit garden, you will find safe, effective methods of controlling them so you can have a healthy harvest without adding toxins to our environment. Organic pesticides such as Safer® Brand products allow you to garden organic all year long.
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Control Options for Caterpillars in Your Garden
Natural & Organic Controls
What?
B.t. and pyrethrins are chemicals that can be used to help control the tomato hornworm, cabbage loopers and cabbageworms. B.t. (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a safe, effective method of eliminating your garden or field of the tomato hornworm without environmental concerns or harm to wildlife and beneficial insects.
Insecticides containing pyrethrins can also be an effective method of controlling these caterpillars.
How?
B.t. kills hornworm larvae, cabbage loopers and cabbageworms thereby preventing further damage. When the worm ingests the B.t., it works as a gut rot poison that makes the worm stop feeding. The tomato hornworm cabbage looper or cabbageworm will stop feeding immediately and die within days of malnutrition.
B.t. usually comes in a dust or concentrate and kills a variety of caterpillars and worms. It will not harm beneficial insects, children, pets or wildlife.
Sprays with pyrethrins paralyze the insects and result in their death.
Safer® Brand offers a variety of control products for tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers and cabbageworms to help control and eliminate these garden pests and revive your plants. Please check out our tomato hornworm, cabbage looper and cabbageworm control products for more details about how they work and how, when, and where they should be applied.
It is recommended with any pesticide to test plants for sensitivity to the product. Spray a small section of the plant in an inconspicuous area and wait 24 hours before full coverage.
When?
B.t. is generally applied when it is a cooler time of day, preferably later in the afternoon or early in the evening since the product breaks down in sunlight and heat. Carefully read and follow all directions on the product's label.
When applying pyrethrins to infected plants, carefully read and follow all directions on the product labeling for safe and effective application. Do not spray plants in the peak of day or when temperatures exceed 90°F
Why Choose a Natural Solution?
Natural solutions break down quickly into their natural elements. They are preferable to chemical pesticides that leave residuals where they are sprayed causing long-term detrimental affects on the environment.
Natural Predators
What?
Tomato Hornworms
The parasitic wasp and green lacewings are two beneficial insects that help to control tomato hornworm problems. They can be attracted naturally to your cornfield or garden area where your corn is planted, and there are some companies that grow these insects and sell them to consumers.
Cabbage Loopers
Predators of the cabbage looper include lady beetles, spiders, pirate bugs, wasps, birds and small mammals.
Cabbageworms
A natural control method would be to entice parasitic wasps to your garden so these beneficial pests can help control the cabbageworm.
How?
Tomato Hornworm
The parasitic wasp lays its eggs inside the tomato hornworm's egg. These have shown success rates of over 50% and higher. Upon hatching, the green lacewing larvae will eat the larvae of the tomato hornworm.
Cabbage Loopers
The predators and parasites of cabbage loopers attack both larvae and eggs, killing them for food as well as paralyzing them and depositing eggs in the larva or egg. When the parasitic egg has hatched, it will feed on the cabbage looper larva or egg.
Cabbageworms
The parasitic wasp lays its eggs inside the cabbageworm's egg. You can attract parasitic wasps by planting nectar and pollen producing plants in the garden or near crops.
If trying to attract these natrual predators doesn't work, they can also be purchased from companies who raise them.
When?
Plant the pollen or nectar producing flora as soon as possible according to the temperature of your area. Most local greenhouses and garden centers can help you determine the right planting time.
Contact a company that raises beneficial insects to find out when they should be purchased and released for maximum hornworm control.
Environmental Controls
What?
Removing crop remnants, tilling the soil, and handpicking larvae are all methods that will help control these caterpillars. Using covers on rows of plantings of the cabbage family will not only help to keep out the cabbageworm but will also keep out the cabbage looper and other pests.
How?
Handpick then destroy the caterpillars when you have found them. Remember not to disturb any caterpillars having white cocoons on their bodies. These are the pupae of the parasitic wasp. Place covers on rows of plantings according to the accompanying instructions or seek direction from your local home and garden center.
When?
As soon as you find any of these caterpillars, just pick them off the foliage and destroy them, again taking care not to remove those with white cocoons on their backs. Use covers on rows of plantings of the cabbage family before the pest appear.
Expert Tips for a Beautiful Garden!
Gardening can be a very rewarding and healthy undertaking. By using organic products and methods, plants grow better, insect pests can be controlled, plant diseases can be eliminated, and lush harvests can be enjoyed!
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Tips for Using Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer with B.t., Concentrate
For Trees, Shrubs, and Vegetables
Directions for Use:
It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
What it is: Safer Caterpillar Killer is the natural choice for controlling leaf-eating caterpillars. Caterpillars stop feeding shortly after eating foliage sprayed with Caterpillar Killer and die within a few days. Caterpillar Killer does not harm honey bees or beneficial arthropods and does not harm earthworms.
(For Tomatoes and Vegetables) What it Controls: Imported Cabbage Worms, Cabbage Loopers, Tomato Homworms, Tent Caterpillars, Webworms, and other leaf-eating caterpillars on cole crops, celery, lettuce, spinach, peanuts, peas, tomatoes and avocados.
How to Use it: Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of Caterpillar Killer per gallon of water. Repeat as necessary up to day of harvest.
(For Ornamental Trees and Shrubs) What it Controls: Tent Caterpillars, Gypsy Moth Larvae, Budworms, Bagworms, Spanworms, spring and fall Canker worms and other leaf-eating caterpillars.
How to Use it: Mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of Caterpillar Killer per gallon of water. For high population and larger larvae of gypsy moths and budworms, use up to 4 teaspoons per gallon of water.
Storage and Disposal: (For all states except California)
Storage: Store in tightly closed container between 20 to 90 degrees F.
Disposal: To dispose of unused product, securely wrap original container in several layers of newspaper and discard in trash. Do not reuse empty container. Rinse thoroughly before discarding in trash.
FAQs About Insects in Your Tomato Garden
Q: My plant leaves look chewed! Do you know what type of insect might do that?
A: Insects that have the ability to chew plants must have special cutters in their mouths
for this purpose. Such insects may include caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers,
for example.
Q: If I use a floating row cover, how will bees and other pollinating insects reach the plants?
A: They won’t be able to so you will need to pollinate them yourself by hand. Check with your local
garden center or farm supply store to find out how to hand pollinate them. You may want to
remove the row covers during times of insect pollination.
Q: How do I know if my plant is being attacked by an insect or a disease?
A: If it’s an insect, the plant may have holes in its leaves. Turn the leaves over and you may see the
insects themselves clustered on the underside of the leaves. You may also see and feel a sticky
substance if it’s an insect because the insect will leave a secretion on the plant.
Q: I have really big larvae in my garden, and my neighbor says they are Tomato
Hornworms. They are attacking my tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. How do
I get rid of them?
A: B.t. (Bacillus Thuringiensis) is an excellent way to get rid of them without harming
beneficial bugs. It actually works on most caterpillars. When the worm ingests the
B.t., it works as a gut rot poison that makes the worm stop feeding. The tomato
hornworm will stop feeding immediately and die within days.
Images courtesy of Oklahoma State University and Forestry Images.
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