[mr Isaccs]

I was down the allotment today checking on my onions and leeks in the greenhouse and I thought to myself "oh that onions fattening up nicely", upon closer inspection I found that indeed it was not a fat onion but a small green caterpiller perched happily on my ailsa craig
     I was really taken aback as I would have thought i was too early and cold for the beastly creatures at the mo.
     I put my squish technique into action this time but I was wondering if there's anything I could spray them with incase I have an infestation bearing in mind they are so young.
                                   any advise greatfully received
                                                    Cheers

[prakash_mib]

I thought greenhouse at allotment is strictly no go (atleast at ours)
probably they are from eggs from last year hatched recently due to the good weather we had last week   thinking the spring has arrived!!!
Or you should have put in a hot compost/manure with eggs hot enough to hatch

[mr Isaccs]

Yes I'm lucky enough to have 2 greenhouses on my plot, you're supposed to ask the council but the old lady who deals with our village allotments and payments just says "oh yes dear if you wish" she's really nice
     You maybe right about eggs hiding in the manure or something because it got to -14 down the plot according to my thermometer and you wouldn't think they could survive.
     Wherever they came from they can go back there,  for a month or two at least

[Y.E.A.H]

something caterpillars  hibernate over winter

[cob nut]

We have also found a couple of fat green caterpillars this past week at both the allotment & in the garden, amazing how they can survive the snow & freezing icy conditions we have had during the past couple of months.

[titch]

they dont survive a gloved pincer grip on them tho 

[little sweetpeas]

i found a little green one in my polytunnel this morning

[cob nut]

they dont survive a gloved pincer grip on them tho 

  they didn't survive long after we found them either...the blackbird & the robin were ever so grateful