[wbmkk]

Has anybody tried this idea, see details on this link

http://thelinkssite.com/2014/01/27/controlling-cabbage-white-butterfly/

According to the article, cabbage white butterflies are territorial, so if the female butterfly sees what appears to be another butterfly, she goes elsewhere to lay her eggs ... probably on to your neighbour's plot.

There's a link to a printable template above too. Somebody mentions having the images laminated, but that would probably be expensive ... a few layers of sellotape on top will do me.

I might give it a try

[Kleftiwallah]

It sounds like a good idea, I may well give it a try (thanks for the link) how about going high tech and using one of those quivering solar powered butterflies painted to resemble the dreaded C.W. ?



Cheers,   Tony.

[Ivor Backache]

What exactly is territorial? One cabbage? I've seen lots of these butterflies together, so I am not convinced.

The picture is the large white cabbage butterfly which produce large green/black caterpillars, whereas the caterpillar is from the smaller cabbage butterfly. It seems the experiment didn't work

Netting is the only way.

[3759allen]

last year they were pretty friendly to each other, they were absolutelt everywhere like a sea of white in the plot. didn't seem to bother about territory, maybe as there was so many.

netting for me this year to try and stop the blighters.

[diospyros]

Has anybody tried this idea, see details on this link

http://thelinkssite.com/2014/01/27/controlling-cabbage-white-butterfly/

 a few layers of sellotape on top will do me.

I might give it a try

Or, you could make them out of white plastic (inside of margarine tub perhaps) and mark up with permanent marker.  I wonder how accurate the model has to be - how detailed is a butterfly's eyesight?

I think it's worth a try because at least it will cost very little, look pretty and be a fun project for the kids whilst  giving them idea about organic methods.

[Ma Lowe]

I will be trying the rhubarb leaf tea this year. Sprayed over the cabbages it deters them laying eggs there. Some old timers swear by it.

[lettice]

I've just made some of these cabbage white fakes and placed them around my garden, fun idea.
Just printed back to back and covered with clear tape.

Saw a few doing the rounds in the heat yesterday, so anything to deter them.
Its my sprouts they normally head for, as I grow all my brassicas under cover.

[solway cropper]

Don't waste your time. Anyone who's grown brassicas will tell you that the cabbage white butterflies are anything but stupid.

I saw something similar a few years ago and it didn't work then. The only protection worth considering is netting.

[lettice]

This actually works.
Was out in the garden all day yesterday and noticed many cabbage white doing the rounds, the heat has bought them out.
They headed straight for my sprouts where Id put the decoys mid morning, they flew towards and away, amazing!
I took them down for an hour and they were straight onto the sprouts.
Put back and they ignored, haha they are fooled.

I printed them back to back and covered in clear tape, used thin wire so they blowed nicely in the breeze.
Here is one hanging over some of my sprouts;

[Yorkie]

It'll be interesting to see how the experiment goes, lettice - keep us posted 

[beesrus]

It sounds a great idea, almost alchemist's gold, probably a seasonal publishing gimme. I just wonder if this will be about as effective as 2 feet high carrot fly barriers.

I wouldn't trust it for one second. If netting isn't one's bag, far better to disguise individual plants in among other growth and environment if one has the space. It's quite extraordinary how individuals can avoid the mayhem tht goes on only three metres away. I sadly will continue to net a lot of my regimented allotment brassicas this year, but I had two PSB this year tucked away from the main crop by chance, totally un-netted, and not one bird took a chunk out of them. And no little green grubs either. Pests are straight forward creatures I guess, like we all are. I am trying the disguise thing this year, along side my main brassica crop.

[lettice]

I really was sceptical that this would work.
But I can report back that it is working, had no eggs laid so far. I usually would have had plenty by now.
Pretty much three days of dry weather here and very hot yesterday after a 20 minute rain and thunder storm and I have certainly seen loads of cabbage white flying around all three days.
They are flying in around the broad beans and runners but never land on them and then heading up the garden to the sprouts with the decoys, flying towards and immediately away.

At 2pm yesterday for half an hour I took down the decoys hovering over my sprouts and bingo they were landing.
Back on and they ignored, I'm sold on this idea now.

[Beetroot Queen]

I am going to give this a go with florence just for the fun of it, did you just google a template of a cabbage white

[8doubles]

I would go for laminating a real cabbage white ,

at least you would know that you have defintely stopped one of the pests !

[Beetroot Queen]

I would go for laminating a real cabbage white ,

at least you would know that you have defintely stopped one of the pests !

Haha funny but warped