[Little Miss Muffet]

My cousin came round yesterday and noticed that some of are cabbages were being eaten .he told me to get a bowlfull of water with a small amount of washing up liquid and pour of the cabbages.this is ment to deterent any snails/slugs and caterpillers and wash any eggs they have laid on the plant away.

anyone else heard of this and done it or is is complete rubbish?

[Lesley Jay]

It is used to get rid of aphids off plants. I don't know about detering slugs and snails though. I wonder if the soapy taste gets absorbed by the cabbage - will it taste soapy when you eat it?

[digital_biscuit]

I would be careful. My brother did this a month or two ago on some flies on a few fruit bushes as its what my dad used to do when we were growing up! It turns out they have changed the ingredients in the washing up liquid and it killed all the bushes! My mum went livid!! Dont know if this is isolated to the plants/liquid or what? But thought i should just warn!

I am just using nets and then rhubarb tea and mine are all fine and dandy!

[Little Miss Muffet]

I would be careful. My brother did this a month or two ago on some flies on a few fruit bushes as its what my dad used to do when we were growing up! It turns out they have changed the ingredients in the washing up liquid and it killed all the bushes! My mum went livid!! Dont know if this is isolated to the plants/liquid or what? But thought i should just warn!

I am just using nets and then rhubarb tea and mine are all fine and dandy!

thats what i was worried about weather it would kill the plants.

[brucesgirl]

I use soapy water on everything!!! But I only use eco washing up liquid - some of the others do contain anti-bacterial agents.
I spilt some anti-bacterial hand wash on my carpet and it stained really badly, in the end had to claim on the insurance as I couldn't get it out by normal shampooing. They told us the anti-bacterial agents work by attracting dirt to them and that was why the stain had got worse. They got it all out with their machine - but it has made me wary of these chemicals in ordinary soaps and washing up liquids.

[WG.]

I use soapy water on everything!!!

But is it effective against caterpillars?  

I just pick them off into a bucket of salty water

[richyrich7]

It breaks down the waxy coating all insects seem to have, so they dehydrate    so I'd imagine it will work on caterpillars ok. Last time I tried it I made it too strong and all the leaves went black and died :roll:

[muntjac]

put a couple teaspoons in a 1litre sprayer it will be fine ..

la la la ( for catterpillers that eat cabbages ,shoo the * away with mild green fairy liquid ) la la .ok im heading backl to the hospital i miss my blanky :shock: