BeneficialCross-striped cabbageworm
Bt (kurstaki) for cross-striped cabbageworm
Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki · microbial insecticide
Against cross-striped cabbageworm
The caterpillars feed as a group on one plant, often in the terminal bud, so direct the spray into the bud and under the leaves of infested plants. In a two-year collard field trial (Ghani & Bilbo 2026), both Bt and bifenthrin effectively managed a 2023 outbreak. UMass lists Bt among the most effective selective products for brassica caterpillars.
RateLabel rate — DiPel DF lists cross-striped cabbageworm, 0.5–2 lb per acre on leafy brassicas; the Thuricide home label does not list it
TimingWhen the first infested plants are found in late summer, while the caterpillar groups are small (UMass treats at 5% of plants infested)
macro · bt (kurstaki) on cross-striped cabbageworm
The pestCross-striped cabbagewormEvergestis rimosalisBuds and young leaves riddled with holes; single plants skeletonised while neighbours are cleanFull 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 cross-striped cabbageworm
- Braconid waspsWild parasitoid · Wild — plant sweet alyssum or buckwheat near the brassicas
- Trichogramma spp.Egg parasitoid wasp · One card of about 100,000 T. brassicae per acre per week (UMass)