This Protects From Cabbage Loopers and other Worms
Channel: Escaping The Daily Grind
Date: 09/03/2024

Last year I had really bad problems with my cabbage getting eaten by cabbage loopers.  I had holes all through the cabbage and was only able to harvest half of the cabbage.  In fact even the ones that I could harvest, I had to pull off so many leaves that the cabbage was small, and I even had to harvest early.  So, this year I am taking the problem head on, and at the first detection of cabbage looper pressure, I am spraying with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis).  BT is probably the most effective and it's actually organic.  It is approved for certified organic farming and most likely even organic veggies in the grocery store has been sprayed by it.  It is a natural bacteria that occurs in the soil, that when sprayed on veggies and then consumed by some insects, it kills those insects by blocking the stomach from its own digestive juices and therefor rots them from inside (apparently).  Not a fun way to go, but honestly I hate these cabbage loopers so, oh well.  Anyway, this is why it does not affect birds and mammals.  So while I would be careful applying it, I would not worry too much about digesting the food after spraying (given there is enough time since last spray).  Anyway this is the info about it I found online.  I am no scientist and cannot verify how it works.  But I can verify it does seem to work as I am seeing far less pest pressure.  I will need to re-apply in the next few weeks.  And any time I see these bugs I will spray.  Apparently there is a maximum amount of sprays you can do per plant growing cycle so I should be careful with that.