Typical scenario: You want to harvest some nasturtiums from your garden and suddenly discover numerous eaten leaves or even the pests responsible for them on the plant. But which caterpillars attack nasturtiums? We answer this question in our guide.
Which caterpillars attack nasturtiums and how can you combat them?
Nasturtium is mainly attacked by caterpillars of the large and small cabbage white butterfly. You can collect the caterpillars, use natural insecticides, or use intercropping and protective netting to prevent infestation.
Which caterpillar eats nasturtium?
It is mainly thecaterpillars of the large cabbage white butterfly that eat nasturtiums. If you notice holey or completely eaten leaves on your plant, you can be very sure that it is damage caused by this pest.
TheSmall cabbage white butterfly can also attack nasturtiums. As the name suggests, it differs from the greater cabbage white butterfly mainly in its smaller size. However, he is similarly voracious and also keen on nasturtiums and cabbage plants.
What to do about caterpillars on the nasturtium?
You can collect the caterpillars from your nasturtium. Since the young cabbage white butterflies usually stay in large groups on the infected plants, this method is usually easy to implement.
Alternatively, you can choose fromInsecticides. You should use sprays that usenatural active ingredients and thereby protect bees and other beneficial insects. Please avoid chemical clubs.
How to protect nasturtiums from caterpillars?
To protect nasturtiums from cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, you can, for example,plant them in mixed cultures. By choosing suitable partner plants, you reduce the risk of infestation.
As a further preventative measure, it is recommended to placeprotective netsaround the nasturtium. Targeted promotion ofnatural predators of the cabbage white butterfly, such as the parasitic wasp, can also help.
Tip
This is how you can recognize cabbage white caterpillars on your nasturtium
The adult Great White butterfly is a pretty butterfly. That's why you wouldn't consider it or its larvae to be pests if you didn't know better. The voracious caterpillars of the Great White butterfly (Pieris brassicae) have a yellow-green body with black spots and fine white hairs and are up to four centimeters long.
