On average, how much % of your harvest is lost to carerpillars?

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah and my answer is 0% to worms, out in the hoop house for 2 years running! I use a couple of pheromone traps and a bunch of yellow sticky traps. I also, as stated before use cease and potassium bicarbonate and a dash of castile soap. The latter two spray additions being equivalent to Bioworks milstop product, with a much lower price.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
100% here in New England
I have given up due to caterpillars here, every season they ruin my stuff and I hate spraying pesticides
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled liberally all around the plant and refreshed as needed. Slices them up. It's beneficial as well.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled liberally all around the plant and refreshed as needed. Slices them up. It's beneficial as well.
yeah , I guess you could rinse the DE off after harvest in a bath. If i do outs again i'm going with the net technique and adding beneficial insects and other beneficial plants inside the net, and ill be able to cover them when we have rainy weather season
 

DCcan

Well-Known Member
Oh yeah and my answer is 0% to worms, out in the hoop house for 2 years running! I use a couple of pheromone traps and a bunch of yellow sticky traps. I also, as stated before use cease and potassium bicarbonate and a dash of castile soap. The latter two spray additions being equivalent to Bioworks milstop product, with a much lower price.

That reminded me to check the labeling for MilStop/ Bicarb, I was wondering about getting a mister/fogger and seeing what is compatible for heat vs misting.
Fogger/misting looks cost effective, better coverage, less time.

ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYERS: Apply at a rate of 0.625 pounds (10 ounces) to 1.125 pounds (18 ounces) per 2 gallons of water per 10,000 sq ft. Do not exceed a rate of 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) per 2 gallons of water.

THERMAL FOGGERS: Apply at a rate of 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) to 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water per 10,000 sq ft. Use the 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) per 1 gallon of water rate for plants that are in À ower. Do not exceed 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
That reminded me to check the labeling for MilStop/ Bicarb, I was wondering about getting a mister/fogger and seeing what is compatible for heat vs misting.
Fogger/misting looks cost effective, better coverage, less time.

ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYERS: Apply at a rate of 0.625 pounds (10 ounces) to 1.125 pounds (18 ounces) per 2 gallons of water per 10,000 sq ft. Do not exceed a rate of 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) per 2 gallons of water.

THERMAL FOGGERS: Apply at a rate of 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) to 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water per 10,000 sq ft. Use the 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) per 1 gallon of water rate for plants that are in À ower. Do not exceed 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water
I use an airless paint sprayer. I spoke with a person at Bioworks about applying using my equipment for Cease and Milstop. They assured me it would be fine.
They airless sprayer gives an aerosol dispersion of the solution. So far it has been great. I also use the same sprayer for other applications, like spinosad and BT.
I am not sure but I believe a fogger that uses heat wouldn't be good for Cease, as it is a living biological product.

As to the Milstop, it may work in a heat operated fogger. But I would tend believe it would quickly foul the heating system with mineral deposits.
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
That reminded me to check the labeling for MilStop/ Bicarb, I was wondering about getting a mister/fogger and seeing what is compatible for heat vs misting.
Fogger/misting looks cost effective, better coverage, less time.

ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYERS: Apply at a rate of 0.625 pounds (10 ounces) to 1.125 pounds (18 ounces) per 2 gallons of water per 10,000 sq ft. Do not exceed a rate of 1.5 pounds (24 ounces) per 2 gallons of water.

THERMAL FOGGERS: Apply at a rate of 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) to 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water per 10,000 sq ft. Use the 0.38 pounds (6 ounces) per 1 gallon of water rate for plants that are in À ower. Do not exceed 0.75 pounds (12 ounces) per 1 gallon of water
Those levels seem way higher than needed.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
yeah , I guess you could rinse the DE off after harvest in a bath. If i do outs again i'm going with the net technique and adding beneficial insects and other beneficial plants inside the net, and ill be able to cover them when we have rainy weather season
I just apply to the ground. Caterpillars can't make it to the plants. Slices the little bastards up.
 

DCcan

Well-Known Member
Those levels seem way higher than needed.
That is the max listed rate for foggers and misters for 10,000 sq. ft, probably for application on root crops for storage, not the application rate table.
Most of applications list 1 tablespoon/gal.
 

JimmiP

Well-Known Member
That is the max listed rate for foggers and misters, probably for application on root crops for storage, not the application rate table.
Most of applications list 1 tablespoon/gal.
That makes way more sense.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Man I always thought they fell down from the trees, cause I've seen them come down from a web so I figured you'd need a screen
Depending on species of moth or butterfly you probably have. Some drop in. Some are hatched on the plant. Some crawl from one spot to the next. Netting is not recommended by me because of shading. By the time the holes are small enough to block tiny worms or caterpillars they're providing shade all day.
 

Nizza

Well-Known Member
Depending on species of moth or butterfly you probably have. Some drop in. Some are hatched on the plant. Some crawl from one spot to the next. Netting is not recommended by me because of shading. By the time the holes are small enough to block tiny worms or caterpillars they're providing shade all day.
Every time I get them it's too late to do anything but it's good to know you should be ready for anything , DE on the surrounding soil would definitely help. I wonder if next year I could make nice setup with a canopy
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
Every time I get them it's too late to do anything but it's good to know you should be ready for anything , DE on the surrounding soil would definitely help. I wonder if next year I could make nice setup with a canopy
I used to let my chickens have the run of the garden. Pot and all. They might peck a vegetable trying to see if it's edible. But watching them gobble a giant tomato worm is pretty satisfying.
 

outside Dixie

Well-Known Member
This year was bad. Lost 30=40% first time in many years. The Beneficial Nematodes Triple threat. Kills all bugs..Works great It is hard to do some of the stuff on here if outside grow.Here anyway.
 
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