[mellowmick]

Noticed some sort of eggs had been laid on my brassica netting; long threads of them stuck along the filaments. Felt grainy under my fingers as I crushed them. White coloured, then noticed some which looked older which were more purple. Hope i haven't just massacred a generation of helpful beasties, but didn't want to risk something ravenous hatching and dropping onto my caulies. :?:

[John]

Probably just a confused butterfly laid its eggs there!

[Oliver]

Probably just a confused butterfly laid its eggs there!

Cabbage white butterfly eggs are tiny little yellow (or white) 'barrels' usually laid together in a little group. The butterflies are also able to lay their eggs THROUGH the enviromesh onto any leaves touching the top or sides of the cage! Someone here also said they are also able to fly through the gaps in bigger neting.
(She noticed a fine set of holes in the cauliflowers in the cage. Investigation showed some fat juicy green caterpillars (small cabbage white) and green and black stipped jobs eating away (large cabbage white), fully protected from the birds. Well, they did not last long ...)

So next year she is going to make her cage taller, and plant the stuff so that when it grows the leaves do not touch the netting!