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The cabbage cutworm is a polyphagous pest that can destroy a significant part of cabbage plantings because it prefers to attack all cruciferous crops. Belongs to the class of insects, the cutworm family. To protect cabbage beds, you need to know the development characteristics of the pest and methods of combating it.
Why is the cabbage moth caterpillar dangerous?
First, it’s worth briefly familiarizing yourself with the pest itself – the cabbage cutworm. This is the name of the butterfly, although its larvae pose a danger in the garden. She is rather inconspicuous, she has large wings with teeth on the edges. The color of the armyworm is grayish-brown, its fertility is very high.
The inconspicuous appearance of the butterfly should not make summer residents feel safe for cabbage
While the cabbage is growing in the garden, the pest can produce 2 or 3 offspring. But the number of eggs in a clutch directly depends on the region. In areas with cold climates this happens only once. The southern regions suffer more, where the cutworm lays eggs repeatedly.
Armyworm larvae do most of the damage to plants at night; during the day they have a rest period.Therefore, it is difficult to notice eggs and caterpillars of the pest during daylight hours. The butterfly lays eggs on the inside of cabbage leaves and it will not be possible to detect this dangerous outbreak without injuring them. The greenish-colored larvae first scrape out the tissue on the underside of the cabbage leaf, then begin to gnaw holes of various shapes on them.
Particular attention should be paid to measures to combat voracious caterpillars
After the armyworm appears, only thick veins remain on the leaves. On young cabbage seedlings, the pest gnaws off the stem and the plant dies.
During the day, cutworm caterpillars gather at the very base of the cabbage head. When autumn comes, they actively invade the cabbage head, gnaw through passages and contaminate the cabbage with excrement. Such specimens are no longer suitable for storage and consumption.
Having penetrated the core, the caterpillar moves towards the stalk, eating away the inside of the vegetable along the way. A fork may appear relatively healthy on the outside but be empty on the inside.
The cabbage cutworm overwinters in the ground at a depth of up to 1 m.
Signs of cabbage cutworm
Knowledge of the biological characteristics of the development of the armyworm will help determine the time of appearance of the pest. Butterflies appear on the site in late May or early June. They begin laying eggs immediately. After 10-12 days, caterpillars (larvae) will appear from them, which will complete their development within 3.5 to 7 weeks. The first generation of cutworms will pupate at the end of June, the next - in October. Then the pupae will overwinter, and butterflies will appear on the site again.By focusing on the stages of development of the pest, you can notice its appearance on the site in time:
- During the seedling growth stage, cabbage cutworm caterpillars gnaw the stems of seedlings. As soon as fallen plants are noticed in the garden bed, it means that cutworm larvae have already appeared and attacked the cabbage.
- As soon as the heads of cabbage begin to set, places with eaten juicy pulp appear on the leaves. Only thick veins remain - these are traces of third-instar moth caterpillars.
If measures are not taken in time, cabbage may lose the bulk of its leaves.
The listed signs indicate to the vegetable grower that there is a pest in the cabbage beds.
How to deal with cabbage cutworm
This process is quite complex. To defeat the enemy of cabbage, different methods of struggle are used:
- agrotechnical;
- mechanical;
- biological;
- chemical.
In addition, folk methods and preventive measures are very effective. This number of techniques is due to the fact that the fight against cabbage cutworms has to be carried out at any stage of development.
Measures to combat cabbage cutworm using folk remedies
Similar techniques are used by vegetable growers who prefer environmentally friendly formulations or preparations. The main component in recipes against cabbage cutworms are herbs with a specific aroma or spices. From a large list of funds, you need to highlight the current and proven ones:
- Hot pepper. You can take fresh (100 g) or dried (20 g) pods. Pour the raw material with water (1 liter) and boil for 1 hour. Filter, leave for 2 days in a sealed container. Before processing cabbage, dilute the resulting volume of solution in 10 liters of water.
- Wormwood. Collect the grass in the flowering phase, chop the flowers and stems before preparing the solution.Boil 10 liters of water, add 350 g of crushed raw materials, leave for 6 hours. To increase the effectiveness of the remedy against the cutworm, you need to add 1 tbsp. l. liquid soap. Spray the plants 2 times with an interval of 14 days. You can prepare wormwood in another way. Infuse 100 g of dry bird droppings in 3 liters of water for 2 days. Then boil 1 kg of wormwood in 3 liters of water for at least 15 minutes. Strain the droppings and wormwood, combine the ingredients, add water to a volume of 10 liters. Spray the cabbage 2 times every 7 days.
In addition to infusions, aromatic traps work well against cabbage cutworms. You need to put bait in them, for example sweet jam or fermented preserves, and install them near the garden. These can be plastic cups, which are important to place at a distance of 1 m from the beds where the pest is spotted. The mixture must be added as it evaporates, and after 2 weeks it must be replaced with a new portion.
Some gardeners prefer an infusion of wood ash (1 glass) + tobacco leaves (200 g) + mustard powder (15 g) + liquid soap (30 g). Mix the ingredients, pour boiling water (19 l), leave for 24 hours.
To save the heads of cabbage, gardeners should start fighting well before they form
Biological drugs against cabbage cutworm
Manufacturers produce a large line of biological products against the cabbage cutworm for use on plots. The main advantage of such tools is safety. This applies to humans and garden crops. Each package contains instructions for use, which allows you to properly process cabbage. It is important to remember that the drug should first be diluted in a small volume of water.The second condition is that the last treatment against the cutworm should be no later than 5 days before the start of harvesting the heads of cabbage. Fitoverm, Lepidocid, Biostop, Bitoxibacillin are used.
Before processing, you should carefully read the instructions for use.
Another modern biological method is to use insects - Trichogramma. These hymenoptera lay their eggs inside the eggs of the cabbage cutworm, thereby destroying the pest.
Chemicals against cabbage cutworm
Chemicals are also used to control the pest. They are very justified for large growing areas and a strong distribution of cutworms. The drugs are used strictly according to the instructions and with the following precautions:
- Inta-Vir, Iskra-M - take 1 tablet per 10 liters of water;
- Sherpa – 1.5 ml for 1 bucket of clean water.
There is a group of selective insecticides (pyrethroids) to which the armyworm does not become accustomed. This is Fury, Decis, Karate. Also a list of neonicotinoids safe for animals and people - Aktara, Mospilan, Tanrek, Konfidor. They quickly decompose in the ground.
Dust (5%) and pyrethrum powder are among the long-time proven remedies against the pest. Fas, Zeta, Decis, Kinmiks are recommended for early cabbage. For summer treatments, Zolon, Danadim, Dursban are more suitable.
There are general rules for working with insecticides:
- spray on a windless day;
- apply at sunset;
- use no more than 2 times during the cabbage growing season;
- Stop processing 1 month before harvest.
It is imperative to check the degree of danger of drugs and use personal protective equipment.
Insecticides that are suitable for the method of application and have an affordable price can be used against cabbage cutworms
Preventing the appearance of cabbage cutworms
Preventive measures against the pest are always effective. Among those available to vegetable growers are:
- Agrotechnical - deep fall plowing in the fields, cultivation of row spacing in the garden (especially during the egg laying period), high-quality weeding.
- Folk - regular inspection of cabbage, manual collection of caterpillars, placement of baits, preventive spraying with herbal infusion.
Digging up the soil in spring eliminates the pest's pupae and prevents the flight of large numbers of butterflies. Autumn digging also fights pupae, but you should not break the clods.
Gardeners always share extraordinary ways to combat cabbage cutworms:
Conclusion
The cabbage cutworm is a nasty pest. However, any gardener can take timely and competent actions to destroy it. If you follow the recommendations, it is quite possible to cope with the cabbage cutworm.
