When do butterflies stop laying eggs ?

TC1

I have my purple sprouting broccoli covered with netting which has worked wonders after a disastrous year with caterpillars last year.

When would it be safe to remove the netting to give the plants a bit more freedom. have those goddam cabbage white's stopped laying their eggs yet ???

Thanks


TC1

lindos90

We have a big trampoline with a net enclosure and the butterfiles are still laying eggs on that, so I would leave it a while longer!

I feel so guilty about the eggs they are laying on the netting, as when they hatch they will all die as theres nothing to eat, but theres no way I can stop them and point them in the direction of the local park!

oldtractor

This is a vety good question. I would like to know the answer too. I guess the end of September when it gets cooler.

angelavdavis

I think they are about until October down South. I cleared away some of my swiss chard last weekend and there were cabbage white caterpillars on this - they were about an inch long which means they are almost at pupae stage - lots of butterflies still around here though.

valk_scot

Leave the nets on. After the butterfiles come the pigeons and they can do a lot of damage over the winter when they get hungry. I never take the nets off my brassicas because if I do I can lose 90% of them to pigeon damage.

TC1

valk_scot wrote: »

Leave the nets on. After the butterfiles come the pigeons and they can do a lot of damage over the winter when they get hungry. I never take the nets off my brassicas because if I do I can lose 90% of them to pigeon damage.

Good point and it's more difficult to get a pigeon between your thumb and index finger

TC1