Here's another intruder!

[Bryan Acred]

I have found these in different sizes on my broccoli, cucumbers, squash, and my basil.

 

I am wondering what I can apply to the foliage to try and get rid of these guys. I have used black strap molasses as a spray to see if that would help but it hasn't.

Thanks everyone for any help on this.

[TCLynx]

A bacillus thurgensis product can take care of leaf eating caterpillars.  something like Dipel Dust or Thuricide applied according to the directions is quite effective and safe for aquaponics.  Tip-leaf eating caterpillars must eat some of it before it has any effect on them.  It is not a systemic and you should not simply pour it into your system, you have to spray or dust it onto the leaves of the plants to be effective against caterpillars.

[Bryan Acred]

Thanks TC. I will pick some up today.

[Vlad Jovanovic]

TC, or anybody else...(For use in a NON AP setting)...I steeped a couple of handfuls of cigarette butts along with a couple whole cigarettes in about a gallon of warm water...It killed the gypsy moth caterpillars, some aphids and I'm about to try it out on some other bugs...

Does anyone know if this nicotine brew is fish/bacteria safe?

 

[George]

Good fish food.  I hand pick those types.

[Keith Rowan]

cabage moth/butterfly larvae.. dipel as tc said

 

if you have tomatoes avoide the tabacco spray

[Vlad Jovanovic]

Would that be because of tobaccco mosaic virus or some other reason? (i.e. sensitivity...as in the case of oil sprays and pepper plants)...

I have over 300 tomato plants at the moment and was about to isolate a few to see if the nicotine spray caused any sort of physiological leaf damage, but if you could spare me the bother that would be nice 

After spraying today, there are thousands of dead gypsy moth caterpillars (and some other green smooth caterpillars) lying dead (or hanging dead by their silken threads blowing in the breeze beneath the branches) underneath the quince and plumb trees. My neighbor was home today so we sprayed his aphid infested roses...seemed to work well. Also, I popped into the potato patch and zapped this guy (here they are called "zlatice"-bugs, but I googled it and think they are better known in English as the "common black and yellow striped potato bug". (Here's a photo from the net)...

 He is either dead or out cold (its only been an hour or so, so I'm not sure if he's dead and will stay that way, because when I poke at him with a piece of straw I'm still getting some movement at times).

Sure would be nice if  I knew weather the nicotine was AP safe or not... 

[TCLynx]

Yes I believe that is the virus that can attack the veggies.

And I expect there could be some toxic effects from tobacco on fish and bacteria so I won't recommend it for an AP system without some extensive testing.

Vlad Jovanovic said:

Would that be because of tobaccco mosaic virus or some other reason? (i.e. sensitivity...as in the case of oil sprays and pepper plants)...

.. 

[Bryan Acred]

I picked up some dipel and sprayed the foliage with it and a calcium nutrient. I haven't noticed any problems with insects thus far. I am wondering how frequent I will need to use it. I assume to treat only if I find some more on the leaves.