Neem oil or insecticidal soaps can also be used if you don't wish to use the BT or find it ineffective for whatever reason.

If you like you can combine the two. The insecticidal soap must come in contact with the worm/caterpillar while wet. The neem oil stops bugs only after it has been ingested at which point the bug will stop feeding and die over the course of time (days).

If you choose to use insecticidal soap, give some consideration to purchasing an insecticidal soap from a garden center rather than using soaps not labeled for use on plants. If you search this website you will find horror stories of burned up plants from using the wrong kind of soap or using it improperly.

Read the label carefully on either product as it will tell you what plants not to use it on, when not to use it, the proper rate to mix it with water etc.

You can also just look over the plants and pick off any caterpillars you see. That is what I did for my broccoli and brussels sprouts.

Kristen,

It's best to identify the pest and take the time to learn that there is not a "cure all" for every pest at every stage of it's life cycle. Some won't work if it's going to rain. Some don't work well if it's too hot, etc.

Pest management is complex, if you want to learn, a good place to start is here:

Integrated Pest Management
This lecture is presented in two parts. Each part is 90-minutes in length. Recorded in Sacramento County in California's Sacramento Valley, this lecture is by Mary Louise Flint, Ph.D., Director, IPM Education and Publications, UC Statewide IPM Project and Extension Entomologist & Cooperative Extension Specialist.

Education:
B.S. Plant Science, University of California, Davis
Ph.D. Entomology, University of California, Berkeley

Appointment:
100% Cooperative Extension

Research Interests:
Integrated pest management of landscape, agricultural and garden pests; biological control of arthropod pests; alternatives to pesticides; adoption of alternative practices by practitioners; innovative delivery of pest management information.

Topics discussed in the Integrated Pest Management Lecture:

* IPM references and resources
* Preventing pest problems
* Natural common enemies
* Making less toxic pesticide choices
* Controlling aphids, scales, caterpillars, coddling moths, tree borers, snails and slugs, and lawn insects.

You can watch the programs now online:

Just make sure you have Real Player installed or download it free.

Integrated Pest Management Part1 90 minutes

Integrated Pest Management Part 2 90 minutes

You'll want to bookmark the following link to Professor Flint's Lab Research on:
Controlling Pests in Gardens and Landscapes: Vegetables and Melons

I promise you'll learn one or two things to put in your gardening bag of pest management arsenals.

;)

Row covers prevent the butterfly from reaching the plants.

Ive checked the plant at every possible time of day, except late really late night.
how long does this moth stay around? we're can I get a floating row cover?

thank you
Kristen

Bt is useful only against caterpillar type insects. If you also have beetle or fly type pests, you will need something else, such as pyrethrin or rotenone.

Keep an eye on the sprouts as they develop to be sure no little black flies are ending up inside the leaf ball where they can't be rinsed out.

Jim

Alright I went out and inspected very closely. what I found was the ever so tiny, tiny tiny spec the same color at the plant on the underneath of the leaves. they were about the size of a grain of sugar I also caught a black beetle type thing with yellow spots....

"Bt is useful only against caterpillar type insects."

Please disregard this statement. I have discovered I was mistaken.

Jim