The green worms on plants are the larvae of lepidopteran insects that include butterflies and moths. In the first stage of its life cycle, the butterfly or moth lays eggs on the plant, and a few days later the worm or caterpillar is born, which is characterized by an appetite that requires constant feeding to develop into a new butterfly. It is this voracious and aggressive appetite that causes one of the most common problems that we find in plants and crops, and in the event of a plague it can cause such havoc that it determines the total loss of the harvest.
In this article we are going to tell you what are the perfect remedies to learn how to eliminate green worms in plants.
green worms on plants
There are a large number of chemicals used to protect plantations. However, these substances can be toxic to humans and have harmful effects on our health.
Detecting the presence of green worms in the plants of an orchard or garden is relatively simplefirst because of their size and color, and second because of the visibility and evidence of the symptoms they produce in plants. Some of the most noticeable symptoms of caterpillars on plants are:
- galleries
- fallen leaves
- holes
- Superficial leaf bites
Although they can also attack and feed on shoots and fruits. Also, you will see lots of little black dots on the leaves that it’s actually caterpillar droppings. If your plants show these signs, keep watching them closely, as you can easily end up seeing green caterpillars on them, whether they are small or more colorful and larger.
How to get rid of green worms in plants
Garlic
Garlic is a natural insect repellant. This natural remedy to eliminate green worms is easy to prepare. Crush a head of garlic with a few glasses of water and let it sit for an effective insecticide paste.
Although it is true that it must be mixed again to facilitate its application, once it has been soaked in 3 liters of water, we have an easy-to-apply liquid product. Depending on the amount of water we add, we will have more or less solid pesticides left, whether we make the mixture or let it sit later.
Tomato
The following home remedies to get rid of green worms in plants are also simple. The tomato plant produces molecules called alkaloids during its metabolism, which are excellent repellents, repelling aphids, green worms and caterpillars.
Pesticide preparation includes:
- Crush or chop the leaves of this plant.
- Mix them with water.
- Let the mixture rest: As with garlic, it is convenient to dilute the mixture again to make it easier to work with.
Cilantro
Coriander, also known as Chinese coriander, is a plant native to Asia with a variety of properties that can be used for digestive problems, infections caused by fungi and bacteria, some pains, and of course, to repel them.
To get rid of green grubs on cilantro plants, we need to prepare the plants as follows:
- Cook the cilantro for about 10 minutes.
- Strain the mixture when it has boiled,
- Put the result in a spray and spray on our affected plants.
Nettle
Nettle is a plant that is considered a “weed” because it grows easily in fields and gardens and can cause itching and skin irritation on contact with it due to the release of acidic substances in its fever hair. However, it is also known for its medicinal properties and an excellent insecticide, so mixing 100 grams of nettle with 10 liters of water and letting it standyou will have a perfect insecticide that will make it a home to eliminate green worms.
Tobacco to eliminate green worms in plants
Although it may seem crazy at first, tobacco can be one of the home remedies to learn how to eliminate green worms from plants. The tobacco plant contains an alkaloid called nicotine that acts as an insect repellent, Therefore, mix about 60 grams of natural tobacco with 1 liter of water and you will obtain an excellent insecticide.
Eggshells
Eggshells, in addition to being the perfect repellent, they have several benefits for plants as a fertilizer rich in calcium carbonate. Its applications include crushing husks and spreading them on the bottom of plants to kill green grubs on plants.
Aromatic plants
Another option is to grow aromatic plants such as basil or mint. This last plant is also a good repellent of ants, slugs and fleas. In this case, we do not need to create mixtures, but the presence of these plants already drives away green worms. In addition to attracting wasps that feed on caterpillars, the smell of basil and mint can be used as a home remedy against these critters.
dish soap
Although it may not seem like it, another home remedy to kill plant caterpillars is to mix water with the soap that we use to wash the dishes. Remember that the amount of soap that we will be using is very small or we can cause other damage to the plants. Once you have this mix, spray it once a day to get rid of green grubs on your plants.
Peppers
Getting rid of plant worms is also easy thanks to peppers. This home remedy for green caterpillars is based on cutting and grinding small pieces of peppers: they can be cayenne peppers, jalapeños, or cayenne peppers. Once we have it, we will have to distribute this result around the factory grounds every two weeks. If it rains, repeat this process more often to remove the green grubs from the plants.
Ecological balance
Another effective, natural and respectful approach to the environment and our plantations, in particular, is to promote the biodiversity of species and their balance, by planting related crops or favoring the presence of certain natural enemies, it is possible to combat the appearance of greenworm pest plants.
To do this and for the green worms to disappear from your garden, a home remedy is to build birdhouses. By attracting these caterpillar-eating animals, we can ensure that they control caterpillar populations.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to eliminate green worms in plants.
