Caterpillar & Moth Control

If you think of caterpillars, your thoughts might quickly shift to butterflies. And generally, we all like butterflies! 

• They’re pretty, they’re pollinators, and if you have children, it can be a great experience to monitor a chrysalis to see when a butterfly emerges. 
• The types of caterpillars that become butterflies are welcome in any garden. 

However, there are also caterpillars that become moths! 

Tomato Hornworm

Many of these caterpillars have voracious appetites and will quickly eat through your plant leaves if left uncontrolled. 

Normally, if you’re dealing with clothes or pantry moths, the first thing to do is to put the infected items into a deep freeze (or into the trash if the moths have gotten into your food) then do a deep cleaning. However, when you’re dealing with garden moths and caterpillars, these methods no longer work. Freezing your garden will kill all of your plants, and any type of plant “cleaning” will likely cause a degree of chemical damage to the plant. 

Instead, your best bet is to fight insects with beneficial insects. The beneficial insect in question is the Trichogramma wasp.

 

Before we get into the details of Trichogramma, it’s important to clarify that while they are wasps, they are quite different from yellowjackets and other stereotypical wasps. Trichogramma have no interest in humans, and they cannot sting. Instead, these minute insects, barely visible to the naked eye, are a type of parasite that exclusively targets the eggs of moths and butterflies. A single female Trichogramma can lay its eggs inside hundreds of moth eggs, effectively stopping the next generation of caterpillars before they hatch and wreak havoc on your plants. 

Here’s a quick breakdown of the reasons why Trichogramma wasps are the ideal choice for managing and maintaining moth populations.

A Selective Predator:
Unlike chemical pesticides that can harm beneficial insects and pollinators, Trichogramma only prey on moth eggs. They pose no threat to humans, pets, or even the plants themselves, making them an eco-friendly choice. We said this in the previous paragraph, but we’ll repeat it once more: Trichogramma cannot sting. 

Not a Limited Solution:

By interrupting the moth reproductive cycle at the egg stage, Trichogramma releases provide long-term suppression of caterpillar populations. Regular releases throughout the growing season can help establish a self-sustaining population of these tiny guardians in your garden. ARBICO Organics offers capsule dispensers that will automatically release Trichogramma over a 2 week period.

Effective Against Multiple Moth Species:
Deploy Trichogramma wasps against a vast array of moth and butterfly pests, including cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms, codling moths, and more.

Easy to Use:
This was mentioned in a previous point, but we’ll reiterate the ease of deploying Trichogramma 

wasps. The bugs are available in card and dispenser formats. Place both items around your garden, and combine them with pheromone lures that will bring moth populations to the Trichogramma. 

Won’t Break Your Wallet: 
Compared to the ongoing expense of chemical pesticides, Trichogramma can be a cost-effective solution, especially for long-term pest control.

Robin @ ARBICO Organics