[Raven81]

We have been growing some kale plants.  For the past few weeks these have been permanently on our garden table.

This morning I didn't have a good look at them but they seemed fine, I have just watered them and noticed they look rather eaten.  Mr Raven pointed out they are covered in caterpillars (which I didn't notice ).

My question, if any of you lovely people can answer it is, how did they get there? they are about an inch long and bright green (the same colour as the kale).

As they are on the table which is normal table height I can't see they could have crawled there from the ground and if they have been there a while they must have grown really quickly.

[DD.]

they must have grown really quickly.

They do!

[mobilekat]

Mrs Butterfly nipped in when you weren't looking and laid eggs.   

I have been picking green caterpillars off of young kale plants in the greenhouse- same ones on the rocket and the lettuce!

I frequently don't notice the eggs, so end up providing Attila the Robin with a snack!

[Raven81]

It is too late for our poor kale plants !  By the time I saw them this evening they were just about completely eaten  .  I just can't get over the fact that they were absolutely fine this morning.

The caterpillars are currently providing me with entertainment watching them finish off the plants.

[Kirpi]

These are the caterpillars of the Cabbage White butterfly.

Sounds like you needed to use insect resistant guage netting and making sure the plants were far enough away from the inside of the netting to make sure the butterfly couldn't lay eggs on the leaves through the netting.

[Raven81]

Thank you.  Could these get to my tomatoes too?  Not the same ones as they are a good 12 feet away and the other side of an 8 foot fence, but would caterpillars in general get at them?

[GrannieAnnie]

Cabbage whites usually only target brassicas as far as I am aware.  I've never had caterpillars on my tomato plants, so you are okay there.

[Yorkie]

Just wondered (somewhat randomly) whether 'Caterpillars' in the 'Grow Your Own' board is a good mix of title and heading ... I think I have enough caterpillars without growing more of my own 

[GrannieAnnie]

 

[Raven81]

Just wondered (somewhat randomly) whether 'Caterpillars' in the 'Grow Your Own' board is a good mix of title and heading ... I think I have enough caterpillars without growing more of my own  

I hadn't thought about it looking like that!    

Just on a side note - now they have eaten all my kale run out of food what will happen to them? I don't think they can get off the table to crawl anywhere else and I don't grown anything else except tomatoes and hanging baskets!

[m1ckz]

so  what spray will kill these gritters,,i have lots too

[mumofstig]

RHS says

Chemical control
Spray with pyrethrum (Py Spray Garden Insect Killer, Scotts Bug Clear Gun for Fruit & Veg, Doff All In One Bug Spray), lambda cyhalothrin (Westland Plant Rescue Fruit & Vegetable Bug Killer), or deltamethrin  (Bayer Sprayday Greenfly Killer).

Be careful to read labels as there's often a few days delay between spraying and harvest - and in the number of times you can spray.

You have to find them to spray them with contact pesticides so why not just squash them rather than use chemicals?

Best of all would have been to cover with netting in the first place

[Raven81]

 why not just squash them rather than use chemicals?

Best of all would have been to cover with netting in the first place

Will they harm the chickens?  Can they eat them?  If they can I could just leave them at their mercy.

[mumofstig]

I don't know about chickens but most birds don't like to eat them - they have developed a bad taste so that birds leave them off the menu

[mobilekat]

As a child one of my gardening tasks was to catch and destroy cabbage white caterpillars. Gran used to grow lots of Nasturtiums, and cabbage whites love these.
Being a revolting child I used to collect a handful of the caterpillars and then squish them under my welly-boot heel.
I now cannot stand the smell of Nasturtiums as the caterpillars used to smell of what they have eaten!
I still use the squish technique though when I find them on my kale etc!
As I try to not use chemicals!