Caterpillars- how can I stop/reduce them?

[HarrietJones]

Mainly for next year but I've loads at the moment.

[aliceliddell]

Aren't there some hideous creatures called ignumen (sp?) wasps that lay eggs in the caterpillars which hatch and kill them? Can you get biological pest control like that? Evil but effective....

[HarrietJones]

Not heard of them.
It wouldnt be 'old lady who swallowed a fly' scenario though would it?

[Takver]

What plants are they on? I pick and squash on brassicas & raspberries, so long as you do it a few times a week its pretty easy to keep them under control.

[Takver]

If you do squash, a pair of marigold rubber gloves makes it much less nasty!

[aliceliddell]

Harriet I expect there must be someone on t'interweb who does them and the equally vile and effective nematode (?sp) worms

[Takver]

Defenders are very good for all sorts of biological controls (here)

I don't see anything on their website for catapillars, but I'd definitely recommend giving them a ring and talking to them. I've always found them very helpful (I think they're a small business and you get to talk to the people who actually breed the bugs!).

[Takver]

One other suggestion that I've never actually tried myself, though always mean to is to make a comfrey feed that is actually half comfrey half rhubarb leaves. Then strain this and use as a foliar feed. The rhubarb helps put off the caterpillars, and the comfrey strengthens the plant. I imagine you could use nettles instead of the comfrey if you didn't have any comfrey plants.

I've seen it recommended a few places, and suspect it would definitely help, though again it depends what your caterpillars are on.

[ragged]

Encourage wasps into your garden, they prey on the blighters.

[HarrietJones]

Currently on strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, anything in the greenhouse

[inmysparetime]

Aliceliddell they are spelt "ichneumon" wasps,there are also ichneumon flies. I only know because I saw some in the garden and I looked in my bug book.
Robins love caterpillars, as do blackbirds and starlings.