Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption
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chickenlady
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Home made caterpillar spray.Anyone know of a good recipe? My kale is getting threadbare. I've squished and squashed as many eggs and caterpillars as I can find...but they are winning. Today I made up a spray of crushed garlic clove, washing up liquid, water and sunflower oil....and sprayed the lot.
Question...have I killed the caterpillars and also the kale? They are wiggling about quite a lot!
Trying to be organic.
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gythagirl
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I sympathize entirely - I've never seen so many cabbage whites as this summer.
From 'UK Butterflies'
| Quote: | The larva of this species can reach pest proportions, and decimate cabbages to the point that they become mere skeletons of their former selves.
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Mine are skeletons  AND they were Enviromesh'd...
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Mistress Rose
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There are a lot about, mainly small whites round here. You could try netting the kale to stop any more getting at them. Then just keep squishing until you deal with the backlog. I don't know of any non-proprietary spray, although I am sure there is one.
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dpack
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kale fed cabbage white caterpillars are a bit "kaley"but quite edible.
much nicer if on white cabbage
chooks like em as well
mesh sort of works
sprays "green" or op are of limited value unless you lift leaves and spray under each one.
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derbyshiredowser
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A couple of years ago my wife made up a solution of veg oil and washing up liquid and sprayed all our kale with it, for reasons still unclear to this day the oil had gone rancid and it stuck like sh*t to the kale. The whole of the veg patch stank and it rendered the whole years crop inedible as no amount of washing or boiling removed the foul stench or taste. We have been lucky this year as we seem to have a balance of hornets feeding on the cabbage whites and keeping the damage to a minimum.
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Woodburner
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kale fed cabbage white caterpillars are a bit "kaley"but quite edible.
much nicer if on white cabbage | 
I wonder if there is any truth to the mushed caterpillar recipe (as a spray)? also but at least you get revenge on some of the blighters.
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Boarstall Girl
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Add salt and leave out the oil. Caterpillers do not like salt, although it does make them taste better. 
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dpack
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they sometimes inhabit horseradish which makes them delicious
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jamanda
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I found a fritillary caterpillar on my bolted rocket! 
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chickenlady
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Thank you all for your replies. Very helpful. I didn't think about the oil going rancid...I'll leave that out next time and add salt instead.
My chickens refuse to eat the caterpillars I so carefully picked for them! I'm not sure what they taste like...but probably won't bother to find out
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Nicky cigreen
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it's a good year for butterflies - which is excellent. not so good for the cabbages though... we are fighting a losing battle also
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Woodburner
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No use for this year obviously, but would interplanting help at all, like it does for carrots, or are cabbages just so big that they can't be hidden?
Another thing to try is sacrificial plants (e.g. nasturtiums), just don't let the caterpillars mature!
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