How Should I Deal With The Pests That Are Attacking My Cauliflower?

Do you have problems with beet armyworm - green moth caterpillars that make singular, or closely grouped circular to irregularly shaped holes in the foliage?

Do you have problems with cabbage aphids - small, grey-green insects covered with the white waxy coating?

Do you have problems with cabbage loopers -

Do you have problems with cucumber beetles - yellow beetles with black spots that chew holes in leaves?

Do you have problems with cutworms - 1-2 inches long, brown, or gray caterpillars that cut off seedlings at the soil line?

Do you have problems with diamondback moth larvae - small (0.3 inches), green larvae that leave large, irregularly shaped shotholes on leaf undersides?

Do you have problems with large cabbage white (cabbageworm) - large, green, hairy caterpillar, with a velvet-like appearance?

Do you have problems with thrips - tiny, yellow to black insects that make leaves covered in coarse stippling and may appear silvery?

Do you have problems with flea beetles - tiny bugs that puncture small holes in leaves?

Organic methods of controlling the beet armyworm include biological control by natural enemies that parasitize the larvae and the application of Bacillus thuringiensis. If the infestation is mild, just pick caterpillars by hand and destroy them.

You can control aphids by washing them off the plants with water spray. Insecticidal soap should be used with severe infestations. Introducing ladybugs into the garden will keep their numbers low.

Looper populations are usually held in check by natural enemies, but if they do become problematic larvae can be hand-picked from the plants. The application of BTK will effectively kill younger larvae.

These beetles are known carriers of viruses. Use pyrethrin spray or dust on your plants to control them.

Cutworms feed at night by cutting off young plants and sometimes eating them whole. During the day, they are hidden below the soil surface. Control them by introducing parasitic nematodes to the ground. Using BTK spray on the ground will also control their numbers.

Larvae can be controlled organically by applications of Bacillus thurengiensis (BTK). Application of appropriate chemical insecticide is only necessary if larvae are damaging the growing tips of the plants.

These caterpillars leave large ragged holes in leaves. Can be distinguished from other caterpillars by its sluggish movement. Handpick caterpillars and destroy them and scrape eggs from leaves before hatching. Apply appropriate insecticide only if the infestation is very heavy.

Thrips hide under the leaves. Severely infected plant parts should be removed and destroyed. Control thrips by introducing lady beetles or lacewings, their natural predators. Insecticidal soap helps in severe infestations.

Flea beetles may overwinter on nearby weed species, so keep the garden weed-free. Prevent problems by covering young plants with floating row cover. Control severe infestations by spraying or dusting plants with pyrethrin.

All mentioned insects are common insects that attack cauliflowers. If none of them is the problem, the first step is the identification of the pest. If you have problems with insects and caterpillars, most problems can be solved with the application of insecticidal soap, neem oil, or BT (Bacillus thuringiensis), but before you resort to that identify them and control accordingly.