The £1 Temu buy you need to have ‘zero pest issues' this summer – it will protect your plants from caterpillars for good
Some caterpillars are serious plant pests and one of the most common garden caterpillars, that of the cabbage white butterfly, can devastate crops.
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However, luckily for you, an expert has shared a cheap and effective tip to keep your garden safe from these pesky creatures this spring.
Gardening guru Nicole Burke told Gardenary that putting a wedding veil in your garden can help keep caterpillars out - yes, you heard that correctly.
The pro claimed that she had 'zero pest issues' after using a veil in her garden.
She explained: 'The first time I realised that caterpillars like leafy greens was when I discovered a cabbage looper infestation in my garden.
'It was pretty gross, but it taught me the value of protecting your lettuce so that pests never have access to them in the first place.
'Sure, you can spray some chemicals, but it's much easier to just keep your plants pest-free from the day of planting them.'
According to experts from lovethegarden, most caterpillars are active in spring and summer.
The experts shared: "The caterpillars of the small cabbage white butterfly and the cabbage moth tend to feed at the heart of cabbages.
'Box tree caterpillars produce webbing over their feeding area and can strip a box plant of all its leaves."
Nicole acknowledged that she got a veil from a fabric shop and covered her entire garden - and the results left her shocked.
She added: "I brought the tulle home and covered my entire garden the minute after I planted all my lettuce seeds.
Common garden pests
Common pests in the garden don't need to be a cause for alarm. If you can identify them, you can work on getting rid of them and preventing them from returning.
Aphids (Greenfly, Blackfly)
Aphids are extremely common and can impact plant growth. They have tiny soft pear-shaped bodies, and are usually green or black. You may spot them clustered on the stem of soft shoots – look under leaves in particular – or may find a sticky substance on your plants that gives away aphids have been there sucking at the sap.
Whitefly
These small white-winged insects are related to aphids, at just 1 or 2 mm in length, and look very much like white moths as adults. They can be found on the underside of leaves, preferring younger, fresher leaves. They fly in clusters when you disturb them. Their lifecycle is only three weeks long, which means an infestation can occur very rapidly.
Slugs
An unmissable, squashy-looking body plus small sensory tentacles on its head. Slugs move along on one muscular foot. They range in scale from surprisingly small to terrifyingly large; limax cinereoniger species can grow comfortably beyond 20 cm in length.
Cabbage Moth Caterpillar
Cabbage moth caterpillars happily make their way into the heart of the vegetables, The caterpillars are distinguished in shades of yellow or browny green with no hair.
Mealy Bug
Mealybugs are tiny oval-shaped insects that have a white, powdery wax coating. There are several different species, many of which have what looks like legs coming from their sides and back end. In their earliest stage of life, it's entirely possible to mistake them for fungus and not recognise them as insects at all.
'And let me tell you, the resulting leaves were the purest, cleanest lettuce leaves ever. I had zero pest issues.
"And that's because the moths that lay all those annoying little pests like cabbage worms and cabbage loopers never had access to my garden; they had to find somewhere else to raise their spawn.
"You can buy agricultural mesh and row covers, but tulle is a pretty inexpensive alternative if you're looking for a way to protect your salad garden from pests but still let in light, air, and rain.
'Wedding veils in the garden for the win!"
Keep pests out all summer
IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here's what you need to know.
Hornets and wasps - hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.
Moths - acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.
Flying ants - herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.
Mosquitoes - plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.
If you've never said ' I Do ' before or don't have a veil knocking around in your wardrobe, you'll be pleased to know that you can find a large selection of veils from Temu, from just £1.
Not only is this hack incredibly effective for keeping gardens caterpillar-free, and for good, but it's great for those on a budget too.
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