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Safer Brand Caterpillar Killer

Hi

Does anyone know if this product is available in the UK.

I've been on several US websites and this seems to be the organic choice product, however I can not find it for sale anywhere in the UK.

It is a completely natural unaltered by humans product you spray onto infested areas and will not harm bees or other useful insects.

All we seem to have as the organic choice here is a nateral predetar solutions, which costs the earth.

Any help would be appreciated.

Posts

  • waterbuttswaterbutts Posts: 1,269

    Butterflies and moths are in serious decline. This year has been a disaster for them. If you are troubled by cabbage whites then pick them off and put them on the birdtable. That way you help yourself and the birds, who are also finding food scarce in this hot weather.image

  • BriggsyBriggsy Posts: 71

    Hi,

    I do try and keep any pest control to a minimum, however for some reason this year I have many thousand caterpillars in my polytunnel. I was away on holiday for a week and came back to find the pea crop destroyed, they have nearly finished off the brassica and have moved onto the onions, making holes and then living in the safety and comfort of the leaves. I am picking off by hand as best I can & relocating to outside however I do need to protect some key crops.

    I have two big parsley plants, give them a shake with a tray under and hundeds drop out every day! I don't understand where they are all coming from. The doors are netted to guard against this kind of thing!

    There are so many, I don't think I will have an impact on the local population.

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,617

    safer caterpillar spray appears to be a mixture of Bacillus thuringiensis. It only seems to be available in UK in industrial quantities.

  • granmagranma Posts: 1,933

     Hi I  do know what you mean  but Is it possible to search into this problem and therefor irradicate the problem for next year ?  

    The problem is that these caterpillers  have come from butterflies or moths .So were layed earlier on . Can you prevent the butterflies or moths from coming in to your polytunnel ? 

    By using a fine net or gauze over the openings you will get the air which  you need to circulate but not let any butterflies etc inside.

    I am a firm believer that for any pests such as these it is up to us to prevent rather than kill. Yes the caterpillers do need to eat but if we can divert them in the first place then everyone is happy.  

    I had a problem last year with something eating my beatroot so Im trying to prevent this happening again .

  • waterbuttswaterbutts Posts: 1,269

    Are they all the same variety? If they aren't the usual cabbage whites then I think they must be moth caterpillars. There's a Cabbage Moth and a moth called the Nutmeg that eat brassicas and onions respectively. Any chance of closing off the polytunnel at night when they are flying? (too late now obviously!)

    I wish I had seen any caterpillars at all in my garden. Or butterflies or moths. I'm in a national park and so far this year two Meadow Browns, a Small Fritillary and a Small Cabbage White is the total. Usually the garden is full of life at this time of year. It's all a bit reminiscent of The Silent Spring. Showing my age there.image

     

  • BriggsyBriggsy Posts: 71

    Hi,I strongly suspect the majority are moth caterpillar, however I have already screened off the polytunnel doors with fine mesh. I have in fact only ever seen one moth inside the tunnel this year.

    I had a small number of caterpillar last year, despite screens and so upgraded the system so the mesh is acutally on the door frames rather than hanging mesh. So night and day the gap is plugged. I'm all for prevention rather than reaching for a sprayer, just don't understand where they are all coming from.

     

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