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It seems many gardeners on YouTube haven’t discovered BT (yet) to combat cabbage worms. So, I thought I’d do a video on this product. You are basically infecting the little catepillars with a disease that paralyzes their digestive tract. They sicken and die soon after ingesting this bacterium. So, it’s an organic choice as well to get rid of those ANNOYING worms! I also “demonstrate” an organic method of getting rid of the Colorado Potato bug larva.
Video Rating: 5 / 5
To get rid of the potato bugs , you have to set your garden on fire , cultivate, saturate with gasoline? , then set ablaze again!
for potato bugs, my grandfather used to make us do it to save the plant: get a middle size corn- broom ( if you’ll get to big it will shake the bug of the potato plant on the ground and it? will climb back on….) and you will need a bucket ,and then with your corn-boom just shake them in to the bucket, and then put some gas in the bucket or something that smells bad that will kill them…and to prevent getting some more bugs check under the leaf for eggs and squash..
There are multiple strains of BT for different types of bugs. The most common type, like what you’re applying, often goes under the brand name DiPel and is for leaf-eating caterpillars. I use it for cabbage worms and hornworms on peppers/tomatoes. But, its indicated for “gypsy moth, tent caterpillar, cabbage looper, tomato hornworm, leafroller, and more.”
As a side note, I just found your channel and I’m? excited about all of the great homesteading content you have online. Thanks!
Great? information on garden pest control. Thanks for sharing, Roosevelt
Hey deer poop is good fertilizer lol. If you cut ur? own hair or your kids toss the hair in the garden. It will keep the deer away. You can also urinate around it (easier for a male…lol) or buy some urine at a hunting store like coyote. 7 dust for the rest of the little critters and toss some mothballs out in there and your should be good.
Are you thinking for mulch or weed control or ??? I don’t think it would hurt. It’s not going to help with bugs though (that I know of). I am mulching the garden (including the melons and some squash) with chopped straw this year but I’m doing it for moisture retention and (hopefully) weed control. I never have good luck with cucumbers, but this year I’m trying growing them vertically on a stock panel.?
Should? I put straw under my squashes and cukes? They are on the ground. Thank you
I don’t know what other pests BT? may (or may not) work on — I’ve only ever used it for the cabbage moths / catepillars. I hear ya on the squash bugs — I fight them every year and in the end, they ALWAYS kill off my vines. I’ve never heard of sprayable nematodes — do you have a product name I can google or source where I can order some? I’d be SO grateful! Squash bugs have been my garden nemesis for years!
Does BT work on the potato or squash bugs like it does on cabbage worms-you might try it? Never had potato bugs but I’ve had? horrible problems with squash bugs (hate those things) but got rid of them with sprayable nematodes from Gardens Alive. I’ve also had folks tell me using Neem, hot pepper wax, or DT earth on pests like these. I just liked the idea of the nematodes eating the squash bugs so that’s what I chose to use.
Just made a cool discovery . . .I put down a slug trap yesterday (since I thought maybe slugs were eating? my brussel sprout leaves) . ..3 in deep container half filled with beer and a tsp. of salt . . .while spraying the BT, I checked my slug trap and noticed 6 DEAD cabbage worms in it! So now I have 2 treatments to kill the pesky pests! 🙂
After you spray your plants with the BT mix, you DO have to let the little bugger catepillers eat a bit more (to ingest the bad stuff — MAHAHAHA) but then, they’ll be black and dead in two days. More evil laughing. ; ) I hope it works well for you. I’ve always had too luck with it.? Nothing is more frustrating than seeing your hard work get munched away by bugs! Now, if I could only find a viable organic solution to kill squash bugs.
THANK YOU!! I was putting a bit of 7 dust on and it did nothing . . .my organic soap spray did nothing . . .my brussel sprouts? are getting DEVOURED. I will definitely try this BT stuff!! Good to know that it is organic, too! Thanks!
Try putting your chickens out into the garden once your plants are big enough for? them not to scratch them up, They will eat all your bugs.
hahahahhaha, you are? amazing! I love your energy, you actually made me laugh speaking of getting sprayed in the eye with the bug juice, as I was getting increasingly grossed out.. ;)), great video!! thanks 😉
— I can never seem to get brussel sprouts? to maturity before winter sets in. I And this year, I got everything in so late due to weather. I planted a little section of one row anyway in brussel sprouts. This Spring, I did have one plant that survived the winter and was probably going to bloom / make seeds this year. I was pretty excited to save those seeds from such a hardy plant. . . until hubby “helped” me and pulled it out this Spring. ARGGH!
Thanks. I? think I have cabbage worms on my brussels sprouts. I’m going to try this. I live in the midwest. Not sure how big the plants will get, but I’m experimenting with new vegetables this year.
@Hollyhocks0 Squash bugs are the only ones I’ve really had a hard time with finding? something organic to deal with them. Interesting idea about using their dead comrades to deter them. . . .I may have to pick up a special blender at a garage sale this Spring! : )
Glad to know about the BT I’ll get some soon just a few holes? in some leaves so far.
I do what marthale7 does and cover my brassica family crops (kale, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.) with a floating row cover mesh cloth. It keeps the pesky white moth/butterflys from laying their eggs on the plants and avoids the worm infestation all together. I also heard small containers with an inch of beer under potato plants lure? the potato bugs in and drowns them. This might help in between squishings!
I am no purest ether and when we decided to go with sevin dust on our potato bugs we were just at our wits ends with organic product shortcomings . You just have to? wash your plants really well before consumption when using sevin dust.
Good to know about the BT. I am growing in containers, and I have put netting over my kale stops the moths from getting to it so I don’t have to spray at all HURRAY! I have seen people put PVC over entire rows with the netting over top. I am sold on this method. I wonder….. could you use a wick method to pull up water from below? If you were to dig a hole with the post hole digger and fill it with peat moss would that pull up water via wicking….. ? Just an idea.
— thanks, good to know. Although I must admit, I take a certain,? sick satisfaction in squashing them. LOL
— I don’t know, I’ve never tried using ashes (never had potato bugs before). But I mentioned it on the video because Ken from the centervilletn channel said that is what he did for his potato bug problem. Check his channel out –? he’s got a beautiful garden!
Are paper (made from wood) ashes? an effective substitute?
haha….maybe!?