Organic Solutions for Cabbage Loopers
and Cabbage Worms
A Factsheet from Toxic Free NC
AboutCabbageLoopersandCabbageWorms
TheCabbageLooperandtheImportedCabbageWormare
bothcommonpestsofthebrassicafamilyofplants,which
includescabbages,kale,collards,broccoli,cauliflower,and
turnips.TheCabbagelooperisthelarvaeofamoth,andthe
CabbageWorm,thelarvaeofabu@erfly.Theadultmothsand
bu@erfliesdon’tdoanydamage,butthecaterpillarschew
raggedholesintheleavesoftheplants.
Cabbagewormsmayalsotunnelintotheheadofacabbage,
broccoli,orcauliflower.YoucansClleatthesedamagedheads,
butnooneenjoysfindingacaterpillar(oritspoop)intheir
broccoli!BrassicaplantsmaybekilledbyabiginfestaConof
thesepests,especiallywhenthey’reyoung.Cabbageloopers
canalsoa@acktomatoes,spinach,le@uce,andothergarden
crops.
TheCpsbelowaredesignedtohelpyoumanageCabbage
LoopersandCabbageWormsinyourgarden.Sustainablepest
managementstrategiesusuallyworkbestwhenused
together.Thinkaboutyourgarden,yourresources,andyour
Cme,andputseveraloftheseCpstogetherintoaplanthat
worksforyou.
Cabbagelooperlarvaanddamage.
Photocredit:R.J.ReynoldsTobaccoCompanySlideSet,
R.J.ReynoldsTobaccoCompany.
Iden7fyingCabbageLoopersandCabbageWorms
TheadultCabbageLoopermothisdustygraywithasilver
spotinthemiddleofeachwing.Thecaterpillarorlarvais
green,withfourwhitelinesrunningdownthebody.Itmay
growto1.5”long.Theymovewitha“looping”moConlikean
inchworm.Eggsarelightgreen,domeshaped,andlaidone
byoneontheundersidesofleaves,usuallyonlyoneortwo
oneachplant.
TheadultImportedCabbageWormbu@erflyiswhiteto
yellowish-whitewithblackwingCpsand2–3blackspotson
eachwing.Thecaterpillarorlarvaisgreenwithfaintyellow
stripesdownitsback,andiscoveredinCnyhairs.Theyare
slowmoving.EggsarewhiCshyellow,cone-shaped,andlaid
ontheundersidesofleaves.
Cabbageloopermoth.
Photocredit:MarkDreiling,Bugwood.org
LifeCycle
Adultsofbothtypesspendthewinteraspupae,thencome
outthroughoutthespring.Theymate,andthenlaytheireggs
ontheundersidesofleaves.Eggshatchinabout6days,and
thecaterpillarseatfor2-4weeksbeforepupaCnginsilky
cocoonsonleavesandstems.ThereareseveralgeneraCons
peryearinNorthCarolina.ThefallgeneraConpupatesin
winteronle^overdeadplantsandothergardendebris.
Preven7on
1)Growhealthyorganicplants.Strongplantscanhandle
somedamagefromcabbageloopersandwormsbe@erthan
weak,strugglingplants.Makesurethatyourcropsaregeang
enoughsunlightandwater,andthatthesoiliswell-drained
andrichinnutrientsandorganicma@er.
2)Removeor7llinoldplants.Becausepupaeofboththese
caterpillarsspendthewinterondeadplantsandgardenli@er,
itisimportanttoremovethatstufffromthefieldandcompost
itorCllitintothesoil.Thisworksbestinfall,andmustbe
donebeforeadultmothsandbu@erfliesemergeinspring.
3)Userowcovers.Keepthemothsandbu@erfliesfrom
findingyourcropbycoveringyourplantswithalightweight
“floaCng”rowcoversuchasReemay.Thesematerials(as
opposedtoplasCcorheavierfabrics)allowwater,air,and
sunlighttogetthrough.Youcangetthematgardensupply
storesororderthemfromseedcatalogs.
Thecoverscanlierightontheplants(theplantswillli^the
coverastheygrow),oryoucansupportthecoverswithwire
hoops.Broccoli,cabbage,andotherBrassicacropsdonot
needpollinaConbyflyinginsectstoproduce,soyoucanleave
thecoversonallseason.
Cabbagelooperandfrass.
Photocredit:AltonN.Sparks,Jr.,UniversityofGeorgia.
Cabbageworm.
Photocredit:RussO@ens,UniversityofGeorgia.
GeBngRidofCabbageLoopersandCabbageWorms
WithoutToxicChemicals
1).Scoutandhandpick.Keepacloseeyeonyourplants,
scouCngeveryfewdaysforcaterpillars,eggs,orsignsof
damage.Theeggsareeasytomiss,butifyoudofindthen
simplycrushthemwithyourthumb.Caterpillarsarehardto
seebecausetheyarethesamegreencolorasyourplants,
[email protected]^en,
thefirstcluetothecaterpillars’presenceisfrass(caterpillar
poop).Lookforpilesofround,moist,darkgreenfrassonleaf
stemsandintheheadorgrowingCpoftheplant.Ifyoufind
frass,orseeleafdamage,there’sacaterpillarthere
somewhere!Whenyoufinditsimplycrushitwithyour
fingers,snipitinhalfwithscissors,ordropitintoapailof
soapywater.
Cabbagewormeggs.
Photocredit:DavidCapeart,MichiganStateUniversity.
2)AIractnaturalenemies.A@ractpredatorsandparasiCcflies
andwaspstoyourgardenbymakinganicehomeforthese
beneficialinsects.Pollenandnectarplantswithsmallflowers
suchaswildflowersandherbswilla@ractparasiCcwaspsand
flies.Birds,spiders,andpredatorybeetleswillmakeahomein
perennialherbandflowerbedsandsmallshrubsnearthe
garden.[top]
3)Bringinpredators.ParasiCcwaspsoftheTrichogramma
speciescanbeboughtandreleasedintothegarden.Check
gardenandseedcatalogsforinformaConandinstrucCons.
[top]
4)Bioinsec7cideBTK.BTK(Bacillusthuringiensis,var.kurstaki)
Cabbagewormpupae.
Photocredit:RussO@ens,UniversityofGeorgia.
isatypeofbacteria.Wheneatenbythepest,itmakesapoison
inthecaterpillar’sgut.ThiscausesthepesttostopeaCngand
eventuallydie.ItissomewhatselecCve:itkillsmanycaterpillar
pestsbutwon’thurtmostothercreatures.However,BTKcan
alsokillthecaterpillarsofgoodbu@erfliesandmothsthatyou
wanttokeepinyourgarden,[email protected]
work,thecaterpillarsmusteatit,sosprayitontheleavesof
yourplantswhenyouseedamage.Itwashesawaysoitshould
bereapplieda^eraheavyrain.
Checkgardeningandseedcatalogsforavailability,andmake
suretocross-checkanyBTKproductontheOrganicMaterials
ReviewInsCtute’slistofproductsapprovedforcerCfiedorganic
farmstoavoidanytoxicingredients.BTKcanbeexpensive,and
sincehandpickingandnaturalenemiescanworksowell,BTK
shouldbeusedonlyasalastresortforcaterpillarcontrol.
5)Otherorganicallyacceptableinsec7cides.Asalastresort,
youmightchoosetoapplyaninsecCcidethatisOMRI
approved,suchasspinosadorpyrethrin.Eventhoughthese
spraysareapprovedfororganicfarms,theycanbehazardous,
sobesuretofollowinstrucConsonthelabelsverycarefully
CabbagewormbuIerfly.
Photocredit:RussO@ens,UniversityofGeorgia.
Keepinmind,too,thatthesesprayscankillpollinatorsandnaturalpredatorsyouwanttokeepinyourgarden,soyou
shoulduseasli@leaspossible,andsprayonlyintheearlymorningorlateeveningwhenbeneficialinsectsarelessacCve.
Obviously,even“organic”sprayscomewithrisksandproblems,sohopefullyyoucanusetheotherCpslistedhereto
designacontrolstrategythatallowsyoutoskipthespraysaltogether.
Sources
Ellis,BarbaraandBradley,FernMarshall,editors.TheOrganicGardener'sHandbookofNaturalInsectandDisease
Control:ACompleteProblem-SolvingGuidetoKeepingYourGardenandYardHealthyWithoutChemicals.Rodale
Press,1996.
Flint,MaryLouise.PestsoftheGardenandSmallFarm:AGrower'sGuidetoUsingLessPesCcide,2ndEdiCon.
UniversityofCaliforniaPress,1998.
“CabbageLooper.”NorthCarolinaStateUniversityCooperaCveExtension,ExtensionIntegratedPestManagement
Program.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]
“CabbageLooper.”UpdatedDecember,2009.UCIPMOnlineStatewideIntegratedPestManagementProgram,
UniversityofCaliforniaAgriculture&NaturalResources.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]
“ImportedCabbageWorm.”NorthCarolinaStateUniversityCooperaCveExtension,ExtensionIntegratedPest
ManagementProgram.ViewedMarch,2012:[link]
Thisfactsheetwaswri-enwiththeneedsofnon-commercialhome,schoolandcommunitygardenersin
mind.Cer:fiedOrganicgrowers,orthoseseekingacer:fica:on,shouldcheckwiththeircer:fyingagency
beforeusingANYinsec:cide.Someorganicallyacceptableinsec:cidesareapprovedforuseinCer:fied
Organicsystemsonlyagainstcertainpestsorincertainsitua:ons.