What shall I do about inch worms of the tiniest size eating my Korean red eggplant ? There doing quite a job at eating big holes? Thanks Art

Pandora

Pandora,

Visit your local garden center and purchase Dipel or Thuricide.

DiPel^® is a biological insecticide containing the naturally occurring microorganism Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki(Btk) DiPel is more specific in its spectrum of insect toxicity against caterpillars.

Thuricide BT Caterpillar Control concentrate is used by organic gardeners and is made from bacteria that is toxic to listed pests. Safe to use on all plants, vegetables and edible crops. Thuricide is a biological insecticide with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) for use on fruits, vegetables, shade trees, and ornamental plants to treat a variety of leaf-feeding worms. Pests treated include bagworms, tent caterpillars, gypsy moths, cabbage loopers, and tomato hornworms .

Follow the label instructions and apply with a sprayer. The Bt spores  maximize efficacy against lepidopteran pests.

Days to Harvest: There are no restrictions on applying DiPel or Thuricide up to the time of harvest.  DiPel or Thuricide  may be used for any labeled pest and  an insecticide for use against listed caterpillars (larvae) of  lepidopterous insects. Close scouting and early attention to infestations is highly recommended. Larva must eat deposits of DiPel or Thuricide to be affected.   • Treat when larvae are young (early instars) before the crop is damaged. • Larvae must be actively feeding on treated, exposed plant surfaces. • Thorough spray coverage is needed to provide a uniform deposit of DiPel or Thuricide at the site of larval feeding. Use overhead spraying to obtain good spray coverage on both sides of foliage. Use sufficient spray volume to insure uniform deposition on all plant surfaces. • Under heavy pest population pressure, use the higher label rates, shorten the spray interval, and/or raise spray volume to improve spray coverage. • Repeat applications at an interval sufficient to maintain control, usually 3 to 14 days depending on plant growth rate, moth activity, rainfall after treating, and other factors. If attempting to control a pest with a single spray, make the treatment when egg hatch is essentially complete, but before crop damage occurs. • A spreader-sticker which has been approved for use on growing and harvested crops should be added for hard-to-wet crops such as cabbage, or to improve weather-fastness of the spray deposits.

Let me know how this works for your eggplant. Watch for butterfly and moth activity as this will help you monitor the impact on your eggplant.

Art