Green caterpillars are the larvae of insects of the order Lepidoptera, which includes butterflies and moths. In the first phase of its life cycle, the butterfly or moth lays its eggs on the plant and in a few days the caterpillar is born, characterized by a strong appetite and the need to feed continuously in order to develop and become a new butterfly. It is this voracious and aggressive appetite that gives rise to one of the most frequent problems that we find in plants and crops, which can cause, in the event of a pest, damage so serious that it determines the total loss of the crop.
There are a lot of chemicals used to protect plantations. However, these can be potentially toxic to humans and produce harmful effects on our health. In EcologíaVerde we explain 10 home remedies to eliminate green caterpillars from plants, without side effects and being respectful of the environment.
Detecting the presence of green caterpillars in the plants of the orchard or garden is relatively simple, firstly because of their size and colors and secondly because of the visibility and evidence of the symptoms they produce in the vegetables. Some of the symptoms of caterpillars on plants that can be noticed more easily are:
- Galleries
- Defoliations
- Holes
- Bites on surface leaves
Although they can also attack and feed on tender shoots and fruits. In addition, you will see a buildup of black dots on the leaves, which are actually the feces of caterpillars.
If your plants show these signs, keep watching them well because you will easily end up seeing the green caterpillars on them, whether they are small or with more colors and somewhat larger in size.
Garlic
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a natural insect repellent. This natural remedy for removing green worms is easy to make. Simply crush a head of garlic along with a couple of glasses of water and let it sit to get an effective and pasty insecticide.
Although it is true that to facilitate its application it is advisable to mix it again, once it has been left to rest with three liters of water we will have already obtained a more liquid and easy-to-apply product. Depending on the amount of water we add, both when making the mixture and afterwards when letting it rest, we will be left with a more or less solid insecticide.
In this other article we show you more recipes for natural insecticides for plants, including garlic.
Tomato
The following home remedy to remove green caterpillars on plants is also straightforward. The tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) produces molecules called alkaloids during its metabolism that act as an excellent repellent to repel aphids, green worms and caterpillars.
The preparation of the pesticide consists of:
- Crush or chop the leaves of this plant.
- Mix them with water.
- Let the mixture rest: as in the case of garlic, it is advisable to dilute the mixture again to make it easier to use.
You may be interested in finding out how to prune tomatoes for this home remedy.
Celery
Also known as Chinese parsley, coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is a plant native to Asia that has multiple properties, being used for digestive problems, infections caused by fungi and bacteria, some pains and of course, to repel the most annoying species from our gardens and orchards such as green worms.
To eliminate green caterpillars on plants with cilantro, it is necessary to prepare the plant as follows:
- Boil the cilantro for about 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture when it is boiled,
- Place the result inside a spray and spray on our affected plant.
Nettles
Nettle (Urtica) is a plant considered a “weed” because it grows easily in fields and gardens and because it causes itching and inflammation in the skin, when in contact with it, due to the release of an acidic substance located in its hairs.
However, it is also known for its medicinal properties and for being an excellent pesticide, so that mixing 100 grams of nettle with 10 liters of water and letting it stand is a perfect pesticide that makes it one of the home remedies to eliminate green caterpillars from plants.
Tobacco
Although at first glance it may seem far-fetched, tobacco can be one of the home remedies to know how to eliminate green worms from plants. The tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabacum) has an alkaloid called nicotine that acts as a repellent against pests, so that by mixing about 60 grams of natural tobacco with 1 liter of water we can obtain an excellent pesticide.
Eggshells
There are other natural products of animal origin, such as eggshells, which, in addition to being a perfect repellent, have multiple benefits for plants, acting as a fertilizer rich in calcium carbonate. Its application consists of crushing the shells and spreading them at the base of the plants to eliminate the green caterpillars.
Aromatic plants
Another option to eliminate green caterpillars on plants is by growing aromatic plants such as basil (Ocimum basilicum) or spearmint (Mentha spicata). The latter plant is a good repellent for ants, slugs, and fleas, too.
In this case, we will not need to create any mixture, but the mere presence of these plants already scares away green worms. The smell of basil and mint serves as a home remedy against these bugs, as well as attracting wasps, which feed on caterpillars.
If you want to know how to sow and grow basil or how to care for mint, do not hesitate to read these posts that we suggest.
Dish soap
Although it may not seem like it, another home remedy to eliminate caterpillars from plants is by mixing water with the soap we use to clean our dishes. Keep in mind that the amount of soap we will use will be quite low, otherwise we could cause other damage to the plant.
Once you have this mixture, spray once a day to eliminate green worms on the plants.
Hot pepper
How to remove worms from plants is also easy thanks to hot peppers. This home remedy against green caterpillars is based on cutting and crushing small pieces of hot pepper: they can be chili, jalapeños or cayenne.
Once we have it, we must distribute this result throughout the soil of the plant every two weeks. In case it rains, repeat this process more often so that you can eliminate the green worms on the plants.
Natural balance
Another effective, natural and respectful method with the environment and with our plantations consists precisely of promoting the biodiversity of the species and their balance so that, by planting allied crops or favoring the existence of certain natural predators, the appearance of green worm pests in plants can be combated.
A home remedy to do this and make green caterpillars disappear in your garden is to build birdhouses. If we attract these caterpillar predatory animals, we can guarantee that they will control caterpillar populations.
Preventing green caterpillars on plants
One of the most effective ways to help prevent caterpillars or green worms on plants is through:
- Use cardboard: if we place pieces of cardboard around our plant, this will make worms and caterpillars unable to access it to feed on its leaves.
- Clean your garden and plants: if we manage to keep our area clean and healthy, it is quite unlikely that caterpillars will not be able to reach our plants. In the event that we see a caterpillar on our plant, we can simply pick it up with our hand and remove it.
- Cover with translucent fabric: this method is especially effective for cabbages, due to the caterpillar of the cabbage moth, which is the one that attacks the most. This fabric acts as a barrier against the eggs that can be laid on the cabbages.
If you want to read similar articles to Home remedies to remove caterpillars from plants, we recommend that you visit our Garden Care category.
