Something is nibbling on my bok choy , and I've seen grasshoppers . Not
certain that they're to blame , but ... which will work better for
grasshoppers ? Other pests that I've seen on these plants before are like a
very small beetle-type bug , hopefully one of these will help with those too
.. Chemicals are problematic , I'm trying to avoid any chem based
insecticides because of our bees .

--
Snag

Derald wrote:
"Terry Coombs" wrote:

Something is nibbling on my bok choy , and I've seen grasshoppers .
Not certain that they're to blame , but ... which will work better
for grasshoppers ? Other pests that I've seen on these plants before
are like a very small beetle-type bug , hopefully one of these will
help with those too . Chemicals are problematic , I'm trying to
avoid any chem based insecticides because of our bees .

I'm kind of doubtful whether your pests are grasshoppers because,
of they were, you'd not have reported something "nibbling" the bok
choy.... ;-) One thing grasshoppers do not do is nibble! Bt is a
genus-specific pathogen that is totally ineffective on grasshoppers.
DE may be minimally effective, if applied directly to the animals,
and less so when broadcast. In either case, its residual effect is
detrimental to the innocuous and/or "beneficial" insects.
Grasshoppers are difficult to control because of the great distances
adults travel. Poisoned bait has the most immediate effect and a
biological agent ("nolo", a locust-specific pathogen), the
longest-term (AWA cumulative) effect but under a rather narrow set of
conditions. The timing of application-within a day or so of
emergence-greatly affects the efficacy of either.
FWIW: Grasshoppers have been my most chronic and difficult to
control garden "pest". I have grasshoppers in all stages of
development year 'round, except for the coldest days. Two successive
annual applications of "nolo" over a large area (acres) "seem" (purely
anecdotally) to have been of benefit but my perception is likely
twisted by memories of the cash outlay (BMW Syndrome). Bait or
so-called "trap" crops are effective when actually interplanted _in
the garden_. Last season I "discovered" pokeweed to be a superior
protector of eggplant and this season I have picked out some
seedlings for transplantation. Perhaps this year, I will beat the
birds to enough poke seeds to be able to learn to germinate them.

Hmm , I've got 30 marigolds in 4" pots that need homes ... I've been
trying to decide where they should go . For sure some will go in alongside
the bok choy . Also want to put some around the roses , scatter the rest
around the garden . I shoulda planted twice that number ...
I've pretty much quit using insecticides of any kind , and have seen an
upsurge of insect activity - some good , some bad . I've also seen a lot
more lizards around the last couple of years ...
--
Snag

Terry Coombs wrote:

Something is nibbling on my bok choy , and I've seen grasshoppers . Not
certain that they're to blame , but ... which will work better for
grasshoppers ? Other pests that I've seen on these plants before are like a
very small beetle-type bug , hopefully one of these will help with those too
. Chemicals are problematic , I'm trying to avoid any chem based
insecticides because of our bees .

you may want to be sure of the critter you
are after before deploying defenses. can you
check the plants after dark or at other times
of the day to see if you can find the insect
that is doing the damage?

i hand pick grasshoppers off the garden plants
once in a while, but the birds get more of them.


songbird

Terry Coombs wrote:
Something is nibbling on my bok choy , and I've seen grasshoppers .
Not certain that they're to blame , but ... which will work better for
grasshoppers ? Other pests that I've seen on these plants before are
like a very small beetle-type bug , hopefully one of these will help
with those too . Chemicals are problematic , I'm trying to avoid any
chem based insecticides because of our bees .

In sunlight look very closely particularly under leaves, along stems and
down in the centre. Run your fingers over leaf surfaces. One candidate is
cabbage butterfly larvae, they can be very well camouflaged indeed,
especially if small. If your closeup eyesight isn't good use reading glasses
or a magnifier. If nothing then go out at night with a light after the dew
has fallen or after you have watered. There is no point in doing anything
until you identify the eater. For example if it is slugs or snails BT will
do nothing whatsoever as it is specific to insect larvae.

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Corporate propaganda is their
protection against democracy

David Hare-Scott wrote:
Terry Coombs wrote:

Something is nibbling on my bok choy , and I've seen grasshoppers .
Not certain that they're to blame , but ... which will work better for
grasshoppers ? Other pests that I've seen on these plants before are
like a very small beetle-type bug , hopefully one of these will help
with those too . Chemicals are problematic , I'm trying to avoid any
chem based insecticides because of our bees .

In sunlight look very closely particularly under leaves, along stems and
down in the centre. Run your fingers over leaf surfaces. One candidate is
cabbage butterfly larvae, they can be very well camouflaged indeed,
especially if small. If your closeup eyesight isn't good use reading glasses
or a magnifier. If nothing then go out at night with a light after the dew
has fallen or after you have watered. There is no point in doing anything
until you identify the eater. For example if it is slugs or snails BT will
do nothing whatsoever as it is specific to insect larvae.

have you seen the small white butterflies around yet?

the eggs are not too hard to see if they are being
laid on the undersides of the leaves.

the larvae are very sneaky on the cabbage plants,
it seems like they hide down along the stems when the
day gets sunny. might have better luck finding them
early in the morning. their massive piles of droppings
can give them away.

if you have wasps about, don't kill them, they will
help control cabbage butterfly larvae.


songbird