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Cabbage gardens are commonly exposed to green colored active worms called cabbage loopers that are very keen in feeding the leaves of the vegetables. Indeed, adult moths are not supposed to be the serious pest when compared to their young larvae but as far as this pest in concerned both the larvae and adults are too dangerous to be left out in the garden without taking a control measure.
Life cycle of the insect is distinguished into three stages larval phase, pupal phase and finally the adult phase. The eggs of the insect are laid in the leaves of the host plant during summer and within a period of three to four days the eggs hatch instigating the larval stage. Before the end of summer season, the larvae take on the garden vegetables in full swing causing infections like yellowing and numerous spot holes on the leaves. Post summer, the worms develop to a mature stage on their feed and form cocoons using silky webs. This serves as a shelter for the larvae during winter months. After fourteen days the larvae transform into adults from the cocoon. Adult insects called moths later continue the infestation of cabbage garden in a different mode.
Physically, the worms are green colored and may be one to two inches in length at the matured stage. Handpicking matured worms were been a conventional method of controlling the infestation due to the insect. When it comes to the eradication of insect eggs, manual picking was no way possible. Spraying of synthetic insecticide, another conventional technique of controlling the adult insects from laying eggs in the host plant was just fairly successful because, on the insecticide spray, the vegetables and the surrounding plants are exposed to certain side effects. Then the need of biological pesticide took a strong recognition concerning the environment while the worms are defended.
Spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis dust near the worm prone areas such as underneath the leaves and shoot of the plant is an effective biological technique that can be adopted for managing the present worm population in the garden. Moreover, the neem tree extract, Neem oil insecticide certified by agency EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) can be an alternative organic method to repel the worm from feeding the vegetables. The insecticide of neem has a very good insecticide constituent called Azadirachtin, which on research is supposed to be a key element to disturb the activity of insects.
Author: Adam Teaser - neem
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