It really sucks to see that your vegetable garden has been ruined by caterpillars and all your hard day’s work just go down the drain without any fruitful result from your hard work. Some people may not know this but caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies but not just butterflies but moths as well.
They (moths and butterflies) lay their eggs on the host plant, most times they put them on the underside of the leaves. Try to check your plants daily to see if you can find a caterpillar on your plant, to prevent caterpillar infestation before it goes out of control. If you have noticed that you have indeed got a caterpillar infestation that has gotten out of control, you might want to research a website similar to the likes of https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/pest-control/ or others to find caterpillar extermination services.
Soapy water: like I said earlier, check the underside of your plant for caterpillars or their eggs. And once you see them, remove the entire caterpillar you find, dropping them into soapy water for 5 to 10 min. Don’t forget about the eggs. Crush all the eggs you find or pick off the whole leaf and destroy them if the plant has plenty of eggs. Repeat this method daily.
Move Them Elsewhere: since caterpillar plays a vital role in nature which is pollination and if you love nature; this method is just for you. Move the caterpillars elsewhere. Although, you might want to move the caterpillars nearby wooded areas. Move them far from your plants, where they can live without harming your plants. This method is kind of easy, put all the caterpillars into an empty bucket and place them onto a leaf or tree branches.
Try Using Pyrethrins: this is a natural pesticide that is made from chrysanthemums. It is very safe you and your pets, but try not to digest it in huge amount. It is very toxic to so many pests including caterpillars as well. You can easily purchase pyrethrins in the garden and home improvements section at your local store. Spray this directly on the infested plants. This is degraded by sunlight within a few days. There are a lot of products containing pyrethroids but do not be deceived by that; those are just synthetic.
Add Plants That Attract Insect: do you know that some plants do attract insects? Yes, they do. Examples of these plants are; yarrow, cilantro, aster, dill or fennel. These plants attract a beneficial insect that eats other insects. These insects will help you get rid of caterpillars from your garden. However, keep these plants growing throughout the season to make these insect keep coming.
Use Insect Barrier: This is a type of fabric that you use to cover your plant; this will prevent butterflies and moths from laying eggs on your plants which forms into caterpillars. This method is ideal for plants like vegetables because these plants do not need pollination.
Call a Professional: It is tempting to try to get rid of pests from your garden by yourself without the supervision of a technician, especially when there is unlimited information on the internet. However, it is dangerous to get rid of pests from your home, lawn, or garden without the knowledge of a pest control operator; to save your vegetables, or other plants in your garden, Many pest control companies that offer fly pest control services also have expertise in handling caterpillar infestations, making them well-equipped to address multiple pest issues at once. call your local exterminator around Charlotte NC.