Does BT spray act/work as a preventive?

[Noonin NorCal]

I was just wondering, I have flowers already starting to set in. Does the stuff only work when the caterpillars are already present? We use Safer brand caterpillar killer. Thanks

 

[Oakhills]

You can use it as a preventative of course. Are the moths out yet at your location? Or do you get caterpillars dropping off trees? Then I'd start using it or Spinosad, or in combination. In my experience, Spinosad seems to be active longer than BT.

Give them a light misting at the tops of branches in the evening. When the sun comes up the next day the UV kills off the BT, so it is only effective to the evening (when the caterpillars are active fortunately).

 

[corky1968]

I have used it on apple trees and it works great.

Spray the entire plants' leaves, stem branches
while also getting the undersides of the leaves.

Once a caterpillar munches down it will die in a few days.

 

[Noonin NorCal]

You can use it as a preventative of course. Are the moths out yet at your location? Or do you get caterpillars dropping off trees? Then I'd start using it or Spinosad, or in combination. In my experience, Spinosad seems to be active longer than BT.

Give them a light misting at the tops of branches in the evening. When the sun comes up the next day the UV kills off the BT, so it is only effective to the evening (when the caterpillars are active fortunately).

We have an actual butterfly bush in the garden. I want to chop it down, but its cover for part of the greenhouse we light dep. And i think my pops is pretty attached to it, planted it over 15 years ago. we get lots of honey bees and butterflies in the spring/summer. I been seeing white moths. Im pretty sure thats where the cats come from?

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

I found this to be interesting. Especially the last part.
http://www.bt.ucsd.edu/how_bt_work.html

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Also marigold flower attract the moths, so they go after those before your plants.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Actually I was wrong about the marigolds. I did some more reading. You'd have to have a ridiculous amount

 

[Chimera]

Caterpillars need to eat the Bt toxin for it to be effective. You can only spray it preventatively it is not a contact spray.

Make sure whatever product you are using comprises BT-K, not BT-I.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

i bought some conserveSc and neemix this year and shit is powerful. its like a nuclear bomb on all the bugs that eat our ladys. consersve is 11.6% spinosad and neemix is 4.5% azadiractien. they are pricey but i use very little per gallon so they will last me at least 2 years and i think of it like this,they are expensive but losing just 1 crop to bugs & disease is alot more expensive then these 2 quarts of insecticide. if u are gonna use BTK get the dipel bc it is 54% BTK for caterpillar control

 

[Limeygreen]

Dipel works better on bigger caterpillars, bioprotect works well on small ones.

 

[Mountain Sprout]

You want the Bt on the plant when the cats hatch and are easy to kill babies. We start around August 1 to have Bt on before tight buds form.

 

[Noonin NorCal]

Thanks for the input guys, Ive plucked a couple real small cats already. It was webbed like a spider and found a couple small caterpillar's in it, that was only on a leaf, it looked chewed up a bit where i found them. I have flowers setting already. Ill be blasting tomorrow night

 

[Limeygreen]

There is a new product called loopex, if they are cabbage loopers, it works on them, not sure about other species. It is a baclovirus that infects them, once infected they can spread it to other loopers by touch. I haven't used the product yet as it was just registered last year in Canada, but worth looking into.

 

[who dat is]

Subbed

 

[FoothillFarmer1]

Spray every full moon from now until harvest. The life cycle of most moths revolve around the full moon. That is when they are most active and breeding. Spraying on full moons alone knock down the populations.

 

[Kygiacomo!!!]

Spray every full moon from now until harvest. The life cycle of most moths revolve around the full moon. That is when they are most active and breeding. Spraying on full moons alone knock down the populations.

good info they was a full moon last nite. i hit my plants this morning with Conserve Sc,neemix,dipel and karanja oil. so hopefully that should be good for a week

 

['Nsaba]

Bt use in LeaF plants

Bt use in LeaF plants

My first post,but I have used Bt for over 30 years in the war with Lepidoptera.Use as directions.Do Not be stingy.... spray on the undersides of leaf from the side.The overspray will get the top the gnawing and chomping little bastards are on their last meal.What they ingest exploads them.I am just understanding that from a medical Cannabis post its safe up til the day of bharvest.I apply weekly as soon as see take the plants outdoors
Hmmm and use the correct terminology worms are Eisenia. As in worm castings.Lepidoptera stages are eggs,pupa..Catapillers then beautiful buttefly:

 

[plantingplants]

Are folks not having luck with weekly releases of trichogramma? I have my first order coming. I'll be releasing around 1500 a week.

 

[Hash Zeppelin]

Krunch bubble said bug zappers help a lot too. I'm think gonna get a few.

I'd only have them on in the day and evening. I'd turn them off at dark though. Don't wanna light leak situation.

The BT seems to working pretty good for me.

 

[who dat is]

I didn't have a problem last year *knocks on wood*. I saw one or two and sprayed Bt once and that was about the end of it. I feel like now that I said that the moths heard and they are currently heading my way. They'd have to fight the grasshoppers for turf rights though