Caterpillars

[ELisamuel Sierra]

Is there a safe way to get rid of caterpillars? They are all over my Eggplants, I pick them and the following week I see more again. I was wondering if there is a product I could use.

 

[George]

If you're hand picking once a week, that's not bad.  Do your fish like them?  You could knock them off with water or use what I believe is referred to as BT.  Water is what I use other than hand picking.

[Jon Parr]

BT

[ELisamuel Sierra]

I can't seem to find it locally, none in Home Depot or Lowes. I may have to get it online
 

[Steve Champion]

http://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5160-Caterpillar-Killer/dp/B000GA...

I've never used this, I didn't read the label to see if it contained any toxic gic or anything!!

[ELisamuel Sierra]

Thanks Steve, I'll check it out.

[Kathryn Cope]

Make the leaves invisable or distastefule to them using a pepper or garlic spray, you can also try putting a couple of aromatic herbs among your plants to help disquise them as well - geraniums, basils, etc.  Also 'Concern' is a diatomecous(sp) earth(DE) based product ie diatoms that will kill soft bodied insects but not hurt earthworms!!  I've some seriously fat and healthy crawlers and worms in my gardens even with the use of DE.  I would just be careful about spraying too heavily since the water will pick up whatever you put on the plants if it gets into the media. Otherwise layout something to catch the residue. Keep in mind that fish tend to keep pesticide residue in their systems.  -Mercury...DDT, etc

[wes]

They have this in Home Depot and Lowes all you have to do is check the labels and it will list thuricide on the bottle with the BT info about the concentrate of bacteria that are used to kill the worms.THURICIDE® BT CATERPILLER CONTROL ? Low toxicity to humans and animals ? Used by
Organic growers ? Made from a bacteria that is toxic to certain pests ? Same
active ingredient as Dipel® CONTAINS: Bacillus Thuringiensis in liquid form USE
ON: Vegetables, citrus, nuts, shrubs, trees, tobacco, and flowering plants.
CONTROLS: Controls lepidoptera larve: caterpillars and worms. i.e. cabbage
looper, orange dog, tobacco hornworm, imported cabbageworm and rindworm. RATE: 2
- 4 tsp. per gallon. APPLICATION:: Mix with water, add spreader-sticker, use as
a thorough cover spray

Bt Thuricide 8-Ounce Worm Killer

[Kathryn Cope]

http://www.pcmg-texas.org/bacillus_thuringiensis.pdf

  This is a good link to understand BT a bit better. If used correctly it should not harm animals or fish.  Can be used in some cases right up to harvest - but like Wes says - most of that information is right in the fine print on the labels. 

[George]

I picked a few worms today and fed them to the fish.  It's not a bad tradeoff in that the leaf damage is not really significant to the half runner beans I picked them from.

[Roger]

This isn't toxic.  It strictly BT, a type of beneficial bacteria.  It's good stuff and works really well.  However, I haven't researched if it could be potential detrimental to fish.  You may want to check before you use it.

Steve Champion said:

http://www.amazon.com/Safer-Brand-5160-Caterpillar-Killer/dp/B000GA...

I've never used this, I didn't read the label to see if it contained any toxic gic or anything!!

[Carey Ma]

Anyone try Guniea Hens? Wonderful buggers...haha

[Kathryn Cope]

Is there any reason why folks don't use a light weight row cover to prevent the moth/butterflys from laying eggs on the plants?   If it is the lime green ones most likely a cabbage moth caterpillar. You don't leave them there all the time just when the moths are around so your plants can still get pollinated or you can opt for hand pollinating them.