As its name suggests, the Cabbage White loves cabbage plants. Its caterpillars eat the leaves and heads of the plants bare, which is why the moth is fought as a pest in the vegetable garden. It can be spotted as early as April and is easily recognizable by its white wings.

The cabbage white has a bright green color

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Recognize the cabbage white butterfly
  3. Prevent cabbage white moth
  4. Combat cabbage white moth effectively
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • The cabbage white prefers to lay its eggs on cabbage plants and other cruciferous plants. Nasturtium is also endangered.
    • The caterpillars eat both the leaves and the actual plants bare, causing great damage.
    • Targeted prevention is most effective, for example by using plant protection nets and regularly collecting the eggs and caterpillars.
    • Plants with a strong scent, placed in mixed cultures between endangered plants, also keep the butterfly from laying eggs.

    Recognize the cabbage white butterfly

    There is no such thing as “the” cabbage white, as they are two different species from the white family (lat. Pieridae). The large cabbage white (lat. Pieris brassicae) is whitish-yellow in color and typically lays its eggs in clutches of up to 200 individuals. The yellow-green and black spotted caterpillars can grow up to five centimeters long. The small cabbage white (lat. Pieris rapae) is not necessarily smaller than its "big" relative, but can be distinguished from it by a few other characteristics. This species lays its eggs approximately one at a time, and the light green caterpillars remain somewhat smaller with a length of up to 3.5 centimeters.

    In this article you will learn how to recognize and distinguish between the two cabbage white species. We also provide you with information on the lifestyle of butterflies, because knowledge of this and the resulting prevention is the best protection for your cabbage plants. You should become active at the latest when you see the first moths buzzing through the garden in spring - then it doesn't take long before it's swarming with voracious caterpillars and the first feeding damage becomes visible.

    Small or large cabbage white butterfly? similarities and differences

    The lesser cabbage white is slightly more common than the large cabbage white

    The differences between the greater and lesser cabbage white are not particularly great as they occupy the same host plants, cause the same damage and are also controlled in the same way. The small cabbage white is only slightly more common because it is less specialized and therefore has a wider range of food plants at its disposal. The following overview shows you how to distinguish between the two cabbage white species.

    Little Cabbage White Large Cabbage White
    Scientific name Pieris rapae Pieris brassicae
    wingspan 40 to 50 millimeters 50 to 60 millimeters
    Coloring - moth white with dark gray edges, one or two gray spots on forewings, one gray spot on hindwings similar but larger wing spots and more pronounced dark pollination
    Coloring - caterpillars light to dull green, yellowish stripes on sides and back, short hairs, up to about three centimeters long yellowish-green with black spots, up to about two inches long
    Happen throughout Germany throughout Germany
    distribution Europe, North Africa Europe, North Africa
    flight times March to November, up to four generations March to late October, 2 to 3 generations
    Food Plants - Moths Real medicinal valerian, butterfly bush, meadowfoam, thistle, catnip Real medicinal valerian, butterfly bush, meadowfoam herb, thistle, catnip
    Food plants - caterpillars primarily all types of cabbage and other cruciferous plants, nasturtium primarily all types of cabbage and other cruciferous plants, nasturtium

    life cycle

    Depending on the weather, the first cabbage whites fly as early as March. The small cabbage white butterfly lays its eggs for the first time in April, and the species lays a second time in July. If there is enough food and the weather is suitable (warm and dry), the female moths lay one or two more clutches. The cabbage white usually lays its eggs for the first time between May and June. This species lays larger clutches, but less frequently.

    The caterpillars hatch about three to four weeks after laying their eggs and immediately begin to feed. While the caterpillars of the large cabbage white mainly eat the leaves, those of the small cabbage white also gnaw their way into the interior, the so-called heart, of the cabbage family. The little animals leave behind numerous traces of excrement, which cause the plants to rot and thus become inedible. After another four weeks, the caterpillars pupate and then soon hatch as butterflies. The greatest damage is usually caused in the months of June and July.

    damage picture

    Eggs and caterpillars of the two species of cabbage white are easy to spot. The former in particular can be found either individually (small cabbage white) or in larger clutches (large cabbage white) on the underside of the leaves. Immediately after hatching, the caterpillars begin their feeding activity, mainly eating the leaves:

    • defoliation on the leaves
    • only the leaf skeletons remain
    • the actual cabbage is also eaten
    • the caterpillars of the small cabbage white eat their way into the interior
    • Caterpillars and eggs are clearly visible on the plants
    • numerous greenish traces of feces

    Cabbage white caterpillars are very voracious and can destroy the entire cabbage harvest in a very short time.

    digression

    These pests also occur on cabbage

    Not only the two cabbage white species like to eat cabbage and related plants. The following butterfly species are also to be classified as typical cabbage pests: diamondback moth or diamondback moth (lat. Plutella xylostella, caterpillars up to nine millimeters long, green body, brown head), gamma-ray owl (lat. Autographa gamma, moth, caterpillars brownish to greenish in color with light yellow stripes and cabbage moth (lat. Evergestis forficalis, caterpillars are small and green.) The species mentioned are also widespread.

    How to prevent the cabbage white butterfly

    Protective nets prevent the butterfly from laying its eggs on the plant

    The best chance of preventing caterpillar damage to cabbage plants and other cruciferous plants is through targeted prevention. This includes the following measures in particular:

    • From April, regularly check endangered plants for eggs and caterpillars
    • Remove eggs, collect caterpillars
    • Destroy caterpillars or release them in a more suitable place
    • cover endangered plants with plant protection nets
    • (alternatively) place tomato plants and other strongly fragrant plants between cabbage
    • are suitable e.g. B. many herbs such as thyme, peppermint, sage, anise or mugwort
    • very good, for example, as a bed border
    • ever plant beds with mixed cultures

    Keep an eye on your garden, especially between April and July, and check cabbages more closely if you notice white butterflies. In particular, look for clutches and caterpillars on the undersides of the leaves and remove both.

    tips

    Incidentally, egg laying can sometimes be prevented by dusting the cabbage leaves with rock flour. However, you must repeat this measure regularly and especially after a downpour, since the stone dust is removed again by wind and water.

    crop protection nets

    Even before the first cabbage whites fly, you should cover the beds with the cabbage plants (and of course other endangered plants) with so-called crop protection nets. These offer inexpensive and effective protection not only against cabbage whites, but also against numerous other garden pests. The nets remain on the beds during the entire cultivation period, whereby you always have to make sure that there is enough space under the cover - cabbage plants in particular grow quite tall.

    The most important tips for the successful application of cultural protection nets:

    • Use nets that are as finely meshed as possible - a maximum of two millimeters in diameter
    • use intact nets, must not have any holes
    • tighten immediately after planting or sowing
    • i.e. H. preferably from April
    • Avoid loopholes, so dig the edges of the net into the ground
    • and weigh it down with stones

    Unfortunately, some resourceful cabbage whites sometimes still find a loophole, no matter how well hidden it is. For this reason, you should also check covered plants regularly and collect them if necessary.

    Mixed culture and crop rotation

    One of the best ways to keep cabbage whites away, but not necessarily to keep the damage as small as possible, is to use mixed cultures. That means you're growing a variety of vegetables and herbs in one bed instead of an entire plot of cabbage and other cruciferous plants. In connection with cabbage, strong-smelling plants such as

    • tomatoes
    • celery
    • onions
    • Leek / Leek
    • tagetes
    • thyme
    • sage
    • rosemary
    • basil
    • coriander
    • or mugwort

    for a socialization. Cabbage whites are (hopefully) confused by the different scent and do not find the cabbage plants placed in between. Privet, elder or tansy are also very suitable for defensive purposes.

    When it comes to crop rotation, it is important to note that cruciferous plants are not grown on the same bed every year. Instead, you should switch areas and only return to this bed with cabbage and co. after four years. Examples of good preceding crops for kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. are peas, beans, sweetcorn and celery. Crop rotation is important in order to limit the population of cabbage whites next year as much as possible - the pupae like to overwinter near former cabbage plantations.

    This video shows how effective a mixed culture with tomatoes can be or sometimes not.

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    Trick cabbage whites

    It is said that cabbage whites can be prevented from laying their eggs on the cabbage plants with a simple trick: Simply place larger, white eggshells between and on the endangered plants. The female cabbage white looking for a suitable place to lay now thinks that other conspecifics would already lay their eggs at this point and therefore looks for another place. Whether this method works or not, you can try it out. However, you would probably have to refill the eggshells regularly, since the moths eventually fly into the autumn and then also lay eggs.

    Mulching against the cabbage white butterfly

    Some gardeners claim that cabbage whites can be discouraged from laying eggs with strong-smelling or toxic mulch materials. For this you can use fresh tomato shoots, which you simply place between the cabbage plants or hedge trimmings from privet hedges. This should help especially against the second generation of the moth, which flies around mid-July. At this time, the hedge is also due to be trimmed. Simply place the hedge cuttings as mulch (€239.00) between the endangered cabbage plants and let them rot there.

    Combat cabbage white moth effectively

    The most effective way is to collect the cabbage white

    Sometimes, however, all precautionary measures do not help, then you have to fight the existing caterpillars. It is important to collect the little animals immediately after discovery and otherwise to take appropriate countermeasures. If you just wait and see, then the butterfly population and with it the number of voracious caterpillars will increase quickly. Cabbage whites go through about two to four generations in a growing season and therefore reproduce very quickly. This must be prevented.

    Are there any effective home remedies?

    Apart from the options already described, there are no really effective home remedies to combat the cabbage white butterfly. Only liquid manure made from tansy or wormwood, used as a spray, shows a certain effect. However, these agents are also more preventive, because existing eggs or caterpillars are neither killed nor driven away. Therefore, spray the fermented broth as early as spring if possible and repeat the application at regular intervals until July.

    tips

    The versatile nettle manure usually helps against just about every evil in the garden. Unfortunately, this does not apply to the cabbage white butterfly, which is actually more likely to be attracted by the brew. Ergo, nettle manure does not help against the pest and you have to look for another control measure.

    Biological control methods

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    On the other hand, it is much more effective to rely on natural predators. However, the typical beneficial insects such as songbirds and shrews are not particularly fond of cabbage white caterpillars - they just don't taste good. Instead, you should rely on parasitic wasps (€22.99) of the species Cotesia glomerata or Trichogramma brassicae, which are often used in organic farming. These species parasitize various butterfly caterpillars, including those of the cabbage white. This means that the parasitic wasps lay their eggs on the caterpillars. After the larvae hatch, the caterpillars serve as food for them.

    Various ground beetles and predatory beetles also like to eat caterpillars, which is why you should set up suitable hiding places for them in the garden. These thrive under ground cover plants, as well as in piles of dead wood, leaves and rocks. A cleverly set up insect hotel (€11.33) and numerous umbelliferous plants attract other useful insects that not only keep cabbage whites but also other pests in check.

    digression

    Is the cabbage white butterfly poisonous?

    In the course of evolution, cabbage plants have developed what is basically a perfect defense strategy against pests: the mustard oil glycosides contained in the plants and certain enzymes together form decomposition products in the body that are toxic for many living beings, which is why they do not eat plants that are well protected in this way. However, some animals have adapted, they do not mind these breakdown products and they are immune.

    This plant toxin does not work on humans or on some moths such as the small and large cabbage white. On the contrary: by eating cabbage, the plant toxins accumulate in the body of the caterpillars, so that they are in turn protected from predators such as birds. The feathered beneficial insects do not eat cabbage white caterpillars or adult cabbage whites because they would probably have a hard time in their stomachs.

    Hands off: chemical pesticides

    "Poison destroys the ecological balance in the garden and has unpleasant consequences."

    Although some chemical agents that are effective against cabbage whites are approved for the home garden, none of them can be recommended in good conscience. Many of them not only fight pests, but also important beneficial insects - this applies above all to the insecticides that contain the active ingredient azadirachtin, which is obtained from the neem tree. Others are based on the effects of cyhalotrin, which in turn also kills bees.

    By using such a remedy, you may be fighting cabbage whites and their caterpillars, but at the same time you are causing the beneficial insects to die off, thereby upsetting the biological balance. As a result, there are no beneficial insects - which in turn gives other pests the chance to spread. If you counteract this with a chemical agent again, a toxic vicious circle is created. Therefore: It is better to rely on targeted prevention and effective (non-toxic) biological methods.

    frequently asked Questions

    Are there other small white moths other than the Cabbage White?

    The Karst white looks very similar to the cabbage white

    In addition to the large and small cabbage white, there are other white species in Germany, some of which look very similar and can therefore easily be confused with one another. This applies above all to the Karst white (lat. Pieris mannii), which is very small with a wingspan of between 40 and 46 millimetres, but which is mainly native to southern Europe to south-west Germany.

    A close relative is the green-veined white or green-veined white (lat. Pieris napi), which is slightly larger with a wingspan of around 50 millimeters and feeds primarily on oilseed rape plants.It is less well known that species such as the conspicuous Aurora (lat. Anthocharis cardamines), the rare postillon (lat. Colias croceus) and the more common brimstone butterfly (lat. Gonepteryx rhamni) also belong to the white butterfly family (lat. Pieridae).

    How old does a cabbage white get?

    Cabbage whites only live for a short time: the caterpillar stage lasts about four weeks, after which the animals pupate. The last generation of a year even hibernates as a pupa and only hatches out of the cocoon as a finished butterfly in the following spring. The adult moths then have a life expectancy of about two months.

    How do cabbage whites overwinter?

    Adult cabbage whites do not hibernate at all, but die off in autumn at the latest. Only the last caterpillar generation, which pupates in late summer or autumn, survives the cold season as a pupa and only hatches out of the cocoon in the following spring. These young moths finally form the basis of the new generations and begin laying eggs very early in the year - from April or May. The hibernation places are often in sheltered places one to three meters above the ground, with fences and walls being particularly popular.

    Is the cabbage white butterfly poisonous to humans?

    In fact, both the caterpillars and the adult moths are not particularly popular with birds. Since the animals feed on cabbage wax and therefore store large amounts of mustard oils in their bodies, they are simply unpalatable to birds and other potential predators. For us humans, on the other hand, neither caterpillars nor butterflies are poisonous in any way. After all, we also like and tolerate cabbage plants and their pungent mustard oils.

    tips

    It is occasionally advised to simply let any chickens run around in the garden. We urgently have to advise against this, because the poultry may like to eat caterpillars - but they also like to scratch the beds and also like to eat herbs and vegetables.

Category:

Animals in the garden