How I deal with Slugs, Flea Beetles and Cabbage Moths

In this video Greg talks about his experiences with Slugs, Flea Beetles and Cabbage Moths in his garden, and the various ways that he has gone about dealing with the pest population in his garden.

[notsunkyet]

We had problems with the cabbage moth on our broccoli and cabbage for a couple of years in a row. We only had one garden space, about 20 x 20, behind the garage. The 2nd year I spent time every day hunting for eggs and caterpillars on the underside of all the leaves and was able to save a good deal of our harvest. We loved picking broccoli nearly everyday for snacks or dinner.



Anyhow, the third year I went to Walmart and bought a few yards of the cheapest and thinnest tulle fabric I could find and draped it over the brassica plants and secured it at the ends around stakes and under rocks at the ends. It worked. The cabbage moth couldn't get under it to lay any eggs. The wedding was over. :-) The plants were large enough that the fabric did not seem to bother them at all. If it rained I would shake off the fabric to lighten it.

[gfutube]

Another informative show for us Nova Scotians. I just got some tulle and used it to cover my strawberries and a few other plants I am starting. Not that expensive.

[dean]

Good advice! I tried everything on flea beetles but DE really helped!

[jimwilleford]

I am an urban back yard Permaculture guy. Snails, slugs and earwigs, are drawn to the smell of soy sauce and to fish sauce. I use old yoghurt and sour cream containers and cut a flap in the side, up about 2/3 of the way from bottom. Then add a tablespoon of cooking oil with a few drops of soy or the fish sauce. Then bury it up to the flap. The buggers can’t resist crawling in, and due to the oil, can’t get back out.

Since I use 3-4 inches of straw mulch at all times, I would be overrun with these pests in particular. It works. Every few months I add the bait again. Keep the lids on the containers, to prevent water intrusion.

[sandrah]

We used beer in a shallow pan. Slugs love the stuff; every morning we'd empty the pan of the dead slugs and refill it. We had to quit using it when our cat started drinking all the beer.

[Herschel]

I suspect that the plants (from seeds that were scattered in the fall) grew so well is because they were naturally selected for cold hardiness - the weaklings died off as they sprouted & only the cold-hardy ones survived. One benefit from saving seeds is that you are using seeds from plants that thrived in your specific environment.

[marymcandrew]

If you get netting over the kale early, you won't need the bacteria for caterpillars. I was late covering mine this year and had to look under each leaf for a long while to pick caterpillars off! But I got them clear in the end.

[ClearTheDeck]

Your Lacinato kale is looking especially good. This year, I was thinking of following Charles Dowding's advice and transplanting my kale plants into the garden at summer solstice, when most if its pests are gone.

[lorineidtinytoadplot]

I've never had a pest problem here, I think it's because of all the frogs / toads we have lol BUT this year was the first year |I planted cabbage and wouldn't you know it I saw a bunch of white moths, fluttering around them like little cute fairies. I spread a bunch of horse manure along a fence line to make a new bed for beets I thunk I'll plant my cabbage over there, If I do cabbage next year,
*I compost the horse manure witch propagates toads like crazy. Pile it, wet it down and cover with a tarp Momma Toads love to lay eggs in it. Keeps mosquito population down ; )

[charliewilliams]

Yeah the first year i grew kale i never really got to try it the one time I did my family didnt like it so I didn't try it no more they liked the collards and cabbage better so I've been growing those instead but I grow them in the fall so that butterfly babies kicked my butt so hard they changed the way I garden but I think I'll try to take back my right to plant when I want lol.

[teresamackenzie]

I used BTK (baccillus thuringiensis) last season on my brassicas. I couldn't believe how well it worked.

[mikedickson]

What I did one time I had alfalfa rabbit food and herd that it's good for your plants . So I put it around my plants whent out one day and the slugs where eating that instead

[marksexton]

Interesting information, here in Socal, our tomatoe worms come from a little while butterfly...last year I would get 20 to 30 worms a day, devastate a plant rapidly. I'm not sure what a cabbage moth is, but I grew some zucchini, as soon as fruit was on, these weird bugs showed up and leveled the plants, never seen them before or since....bizarre.

[farmerjon]

I enjoyed the video, these are all reasonable solutions. Subscribed. The first 2 are completely harmless to other bugs and animals, the last, if used as directed is mostly harmless too, especially if used only on greens, as shown here.

A couple of notes that I want to add, I fear that I may cause a little offense, but I think they do need clarification:
The moths are not called "white flies". Normally it wouldn't matter, except that there is another, totally different, pest that goes by that name.
The other thing that I noticed in the comments section, is that someone called BT, "BTK".
BT is the correct term, BTK is an unfortunate nickname for a serial killer who "Bound, Tortured, and Killed" his victims. If you google BTK, you won't get results for catapiller killer, you'll get results about the serial killer.
Have a wonderful day!

[riverunner]

Flea beetles are wiping me out this year!

[wmehner]

My kitchen garden was devoured by white fly this summer. Please tell me what you used against them?

[thrive-like-a-viking]

this year my garden is absolutely demolished by slug, flea beetle, caterpillars you name it.... I have followed your advice on mulching pretty heavily around my entire garden... but I think the hay I used has created perfect breeding ground for this infestation... I've planted dozens of different things twice now... and every single plant has been wiped out before it could develop its second set of leaves.... I simply cannot bring myself to use something as devastating as Sevin or the like.... so please tell me.... does this stuff seriously work and do you recommend it still 3 years thank you

[alligator_pie]

Gosh flea beetles decimate my tomatoes out here in Alberta ! I’m conflicted treating them as they have bee-attracting flowers.

[jenniferrush]

Make sure it’s only used coffee grounds. Fresh ones can stress ur plants because the caffeine messes with them. Coffee grounds have always worked for me, but I do mostly transplants.

[BigCountry]

I live in eastern NC, and they have destroyed all our cabbage this year. I just put diatomaceous earth all over them and hopefully it works on them nasty rascles. I also do not like putting poison out like Seven Dust, but I will if the diatomaceous earth doesn't work. We gotta eat, right!