BeneficialCabbage looper
Bt (kurstaki) for cabbage looper
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki · microbial insecticide
Against cabbage looper
The Thuricide label lists cabbage looper. Like every Bt kurstaki use, it works only on caterpillars that eat treated leaves, and best on young ones, so spray both leaf surfaces at the first feeding holes rather than waiting for large loopers. It spares the parasitoids, including the tachinid Voria ruralis and Trichogramma, that also attack loopers.
RateLabel rate — Thuricide 2–4 tsp per gallon for cabbage looper
TimingOn small larvae at the first feeding holes; repeat as the label directs
macro · bt (kurstaki) on cabbage looper
The pestCabbage looperTrichoplusia niRagged holes between leaf veins; frass in the headsFull pest profile →Before you order
A bacterium sprayed on leaves. Caterpillars that eat it stop feeding and die within a few days. It works only on the larvae of moths and butterflies, and has little or no effect on bees, lady beetles, lacewings or parasitic wasps. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki profile.
Other controls for cabbage looper
- Trichogramma spp.Egg parasitoid wasp · 25,000–100,000 /acre twice a week, light to heavy pressure (Rincon-Vitova, cole crops); 1–2 /ft² in gardens
- Tachinid fliesWild parasitoid · Wild — keep nectar plants near the crop, no broad-spectrum sprays
- Paper waspsWild predator (stings) · Wild — tolerate nests away from doors and paths