Cabbage Looper Control

ABOUT CABBAGE LOOPERS
Pest known to damage cole crops such as broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, and kohlrabi. Adults are nocturnal moths with brown, speckled fore wings that have a tiny, silver figure-eight-shaped patch in the center.
Their eggs are spherical, ridged, tiny, and have a greenish-white hue. The larvae are easily recognized by their movement because they move like inchworms and have the distinctive "looping" motion. The larvae are green with white stripes spanning the length of their bodies. Near its head, the caterpillar has three pairs of slender legs, and then near the end of its body, it develops three pairs of thick prolegs. 

Loopers eat ragged holes in leaves and bore through heads, which enhance the plant's vulnerability to disease. Late spring and summer, as well as late fall on occasion, are typically the months with the highest populations.

IDENTIFICATION OF CABBAGE LOOPER INFESTATION
Cabbage loopers

CULTURAL STRATEGIES
Cultural strategies focus on creating an environment that is favorable for plants and less hospitable to pests. Cultivation practices such as maintaining healthy soil, crop rotation, mulching, and companion planting help to create unfavorable conditions for pests.  

PHYSICAL / MECHANICAL CONTROL STRATEGIES
Physical or mechanical control strategies involve the use of physical barriers, tools, or methods to prevent, monitor, or control pests. We offer several products to help with physical/mechanical control, such as:

• Sticky Traps to monitor and detect infestations early.
• Beneficial Insect Netting to keep the good bugs in and the bad bugs out.
• Diatomaceous Earth to create unfavorable conditions for soft-bodied pest insects.
  

BIOLOGICAL STRATEGIES
One of the most natural and effective ways to control pests is by introducing beneficial insects to your garden. Releasing beneficials creates a self-sustaining solution, where natural predators keep pest populations in check. This approach not only protects your plants but also supports biodiversity, making it an ideal choice for eco-friendly pest control.

Unlike harsh chemicals, natural predators take time to establish a population. This is why we recommend releasing the good bugs before pest infestations are heavy.

GENERAL PREDATORS

• Ladybugs control aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, thrips, & more.
• Green Lacewing Larvae control aphids, small caterpillars, mealybugs, whiteflies, mites, scale, thrips, & more.

TARGETED FUNGUS GNAT CONTROL

• Trichogramma controls caterpillars by parasitizing them. For cabbage loopers, T. brassicae is a great option.
  
• Beneficial Nematodes control . 
  

SOFT CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS
If infestations have gotten too heavy, we also offer soft chemical treatments such as B.t. and insecticidal soap.