Caterpillar Pest Control for Small Organic Gardens

Don't you just hate seeing caterpillars chewing away your hard work? 

Here are a few tricks.

• Coat the underside of leaves with a very light film of oil. Using a spray bottle, I apply a well shaken mix of oil and water. This method of caterpillar pest control works by preventing the eggs from adhering to the leaves. I particularly like this pest control method because it is preventative.
• Spray or smear a layer of bitter aloe very juice on the undersides of the leaves to make them unappetizing. Pepper spray seems to have helped also.
• I have heard of applying bug juice around the base of the plant. This involves rubbing the caterpillars off the leaves into a container of water.
• Remember that companion planting also offers pest control. As pictured below, marigolds are useful in this regard.

One very likable fact about marigolds is that they serve multiple functions. For instance, in addition to pest control (especially around brassicas), some types are edible and they add beauty to the garden.

CONTENT RELATED TO MECHANICAL CATERPILLAR PEST CONTROL

• Garlic spray pest control is highly effective. See how to make this simple pest control recipe.
• Free range chickens are a permaculturist's idea of an element with many functions. Specifically, not only do they provide healthier eggs, natural manure and a means of cleaning up rotting fruit but they also provide natural and free slug pest control. Learn more about caring for free range chickens.

Natural Pest Control

Last weekend, I visited another farm. Unfortunately, it was not using the permaculture design and, I suppose not surprisingly, the farmer was frustrated over a lot of pest damage. Butterflies had easily found the monoculture of cabbages and were devouring some of them.

What I found interesting about this tour however was the farmer's means of combatting the butterflies.

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He recognized that the butterflies and a particular bird were enemies and the bird likes to sit on low hanging branches. Consequently, he began to attract the bird to the cabbage patch with this simple stick.

How clever I thought. I could not find other information online about this practice. However, I felt a bit dubious about whether this technique could work in this case because it was the only method he was using. I figured it would have been considerably better if he had also attracted natural pests by introducing their habitats. Needless to say, I later learned that he eventually lost the whole lot of cabbages. I think too many variables were stacked against this cabbage patch. However, natural pests and the overlooked variables must be the subject for another discussion.

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