Cabbage Butterfly Caterpillars 2 - 4 Weeks From Harvest - Thoughts?

[fuego.de.basurero]

The caterpillars have shown up with probably 2 - 4 weeks to go until I start harvest. Last year was the first time we had problems with them. By the time I figured out what was going on they had decimated the internals of a mature plant. From my research they are from some species of cabbage white butterfly that lays singular eggs. The larvae are small and burrow into the buds.

The dilemma is what to do… I am spending about an hour in the morning and an hour at night (flash light) picking them off. The plants are big so this is not sustainable. I have plenty of BT but would be basically spraying on buds weeks from harvest…

Next option would be early harvest, probably next weekend. Trichomes are 95%+ cloudy, with amber just starting. There will be a bud here or there a bit further along. Hairs are starting to color from white and the plants are getting their odor. A few more weeks of maturity should get me where I want to be, but it is going to be a battle. The weather is holding with no dew and little rain in the 10 day forecast.

My best plants, including my flagship, are the ones of course really under attack.

Thoughts on what I should do?

 

[Oldchucky]

My brother had them in SoCal. He pick and pick, sprayed and sprayed, in flower. The spray doesn’t reach the ones burrowed into the buds already. Picking, as you found out, can be pretty futile. He did all of that, harvested and hung, and cats were falling out of his drying bud onto the floor like crazy. Wound up going through his harvest and cutting out the bad parts. I think he switched them in water before he hung them. But they are still tainted and chopped up. Very disappointing. No a couple other people that wound up the same way. Wish I had better news for you. After that he was ready to quit growing. L O L! You have to avoid them or minimize them in the first place Or you are screwed! And there are a few simple things you can do. Good luck!

 

[Oldchucky]

Did you ever get those plants to green up? This will serve as a bump. Maybe someone with firsthand cat experience will chime in.

 

[fuego.de.basurero]

Did you ever get those plants to green up? This will serve as a bump. Maybe someone with firsthand cat experience will chime in.

I did. Have been meaning to respond to my post on that with what I did and the results. Life's been busy...

 

[Cophiljay]

Same problem here I just pick them off, dig out any bad bud sites with the worm and spray BT every 5 days, drenching the buds thoroughly. No more worms. BT is safe for human consumption so spray those buds! They've been especially bad this year.

 

[Reckless459]

Sorry to noob out, but what is BT? I am also fighting this losing battle with about 2 to 4 weeks til harvest. I have 5 girls all different sttains,, but ony 2 are really getting hammered by these MFers. I was gonna start my own thread but seeing as we have similar issues I figured I could borrow yours.

 

[Oldchucky]

Sorry to noob out, but what is BT? I am also fighting this losing battle with about 2 to 4 weeks til harvest. I have 5 girls all different sttains,, but ony 2 are really getting hammered by these MFers. I was gonna start my own thread but seeing as we have similar issues I figured I could borrow yours.

Monterey BT

 

[Reckless459]

Monterey BT

Figured it out gonna try it. Says it's safe and organic. Figure since I got about a month left til I start harvest and maybe even longer on a couple of slow bloomers I should see results.

 

[Madbud]

Sorry to noob out, but what is BT? I am also fighting this losing battle with about 2 to 4 weeks til harvest. I have 5 girls all different sttains,, but ony 2 are really getting hammered by these MFers. I was gonna start my own thread but seeing as we have similar issues I figured I could borrow yours.

Bacillus Thurengensis Kostacki, a bacteria that kills only caterpillars who eat it. I use it and wash the buds thoroughly before drying. Still get hatchlings dropping out but picking eggs and spraying at night helps a lot.