I don’t know how I missed the cabbage worms the first time, but later yesterday afternoon I closely inspected small curls in the leaves and signs of webbing and black spots (droppings). There they were. I pulled probably 10 or 12 tiny worms off the leaves and promptly squished them (don’t tell Emma).
I went leaf by leaf and scraped little yellow eggs off the undersides of the leaves… but later in the day and all morning I have been watching little white butterflies visiting my garden.
Since this is likely to be a protracted battle, I found these hints on the Internet this morning at about.com http://organicgardening.about.com/od/pestcontrol/p/cabbageworms.htm
Grace learned the finer points of the life cycle of the cabbage worm — in one day.
Watch her adventure at the following link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSp6enWZwis&feature=email
Organic Controls for Cabbage Worms: Check your plants frequently for worms, especially if you have seen the butterflies nearby. Check plants thoroughly, and hand-pick and destroy any worms you find. If you have a serious infestation, purchase bacillus thuringiensis (BT) from your garden center and apply it according to the directions.
To prevent infestation in the first place, protect your plants with floating row covers, especially in spring and early summer, when egg-laying activity is at its highest.
