Light Green Caterpillars Are Cabbage Loopers

Cabbage looper caterpillarI noticed half of my radish leaves were gone, and I found about 30 light green worms or caterpillars all over the plant. They are about an inch long. What are these green worms in my garden, and how do I get rid of them?

From the description, it seems like you have cabbage looper caterpillars. These caterpillars move like inchworms, and they will blend in well with your plants (that’s why you didn’t see them until it was too late). Cabbage loopers are horrible for the balcony garden and will eat your container plants really quickly unless you get to them right away. You can use a food plant-safe pesticide (so you can safely eat your vegetables after you spray them). These green caterpillars are hard to see, so just spray the whole plant, and then the caterpillars will fall off the plant. Then once they're on the floor, kill them by either spraying them more, squishing them or cutting them in half. You'll have to look for them every day until you're sure they're gone. Even if you don't see them, you'll see their black poop and holes in your container plant leaves. Good luck! Hopefully you can get rid of them soon!

 

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