What is eating my broccoli seedlings

Are your broccoli leaves being eaten? Do you see some holes or damage on your broccoli leaves? If yes, then your plant is most likely being attacked by pests such as broccoli worms, cabbage worms, cutworms, and other different kinds of pests. But don’t worry because you can easily solve this problem. Here’s what to do.

What Is Eating My Broccoli Leaves?

There are various pests that can eat your broccoli leaves, and these include:

• Cabbage Moths
• Aphids
• Cabbage Looper
• Diamondback Moth Caterpillars
• Thrips
• Flea Beetles
• Cabbage Webworms
• Cabbage Root Maggots
• Harlequin Bugs
• Cutworms
• Root-Knot Nematodes
• And Certain Animals

Aside from broccoli … brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and similar vegetables can also be host plants for these pests.

What’s Eating My Broccoli Leaves at Night?

The pests that are eating your broccoli leaves at night are called “cutworms.” In appearance, cutworms are smooth that come with tiny hairs. They are about two inches in length, and when they feel threatened, they curl themselves up.

Cutworms got their name because they attack the stems of juvenile plants, which causes the plants to get cut. Sometimes, these pests also bore into the heads of mature plants and cut flowers. They also eat the roots of young plants so make sure to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Here’s how you can get rid of cutworms:

• The best solution is to use a safe pesticide late in the day. I recommend you use the product below as it contains Bacillus thuringiensis, which is a bacteria that affects cutworms and other soft-bodied insects.

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Bonide (BND803) – Leaf Eating Worm & Moth Killer, Thuricide Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) Outdoor Insecticide/Pesticide Liquid Concentrate (16 oz.)

• INSECT KILLER – This pest control is great for use on redhumped caterpillars, cabbage looper, diamondback moth, omnivorous leafroller, tent caterpillar, and many more.
• PROTECTS VEGETABLES, FRUITS, NUTS, SHADE TREES & ORNAMENTALS – Thuricide is designed for use on a variety of plants including almonds, apples, pears, cherries, grapes, oranges, celery, broccoli, cabbage, pecans plus shade trees and ornamentals.
• CONTAINS BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS – The active ingredient of this product is Bacillus thuringiensis, also known as Bt. Bt is a natural occurring, soil-borne bacteria that has been used since the 1950s for natural insect control.

• Consider using organic pesticides to eliminate them.
• You can manually get rid of them by picking them off your plants and putting them in soapy water. Make sure to wear gloves and use a flashlight as you’ll most likely going to do this at night.

What Other Animals Eat Broccoli Leaves?

Aside from insects, larvae, worms, animals can also eat your broccoli leaves. These animals include:

• Gophers
• Rabbits
• Birds
• Deers
• Groundhogs (a.k.a. woodchucks)

If you want to know how to stop animals from eating your broccoli leaf or leaves, here’s what to do:

• Set up some traps – if animals are causing serious problem eating your broccoli plants, then perhaps you may need to resort to traps. It’s up to you if you want to use live traps or those lethal ones. But make sure to review the laws in your area before you use any type of trap.
• Use a taste deterrent – no need to spend for this one as you can mix your own taste deterrent that you can spray on your plants. A mix of water with hot pepper sauce or garlic will do.
• Use physical barriers – you can use fences to cover your plants. Ideally, you’d want to use a fence that can be buried a little bit deep down into the ground to prevent those borrowing animals too.

Do Rats Eat Broccoli Plants?

Yes, rats eat broccoli plants. If you have certain types of rats as pets, broccoli is actually a healthy snack for them when given in moderation. The broccoli leaves, stems, and stalks are not toxic to rats, so, yes, rats can eat broccoli.

What Are the Worms in My Broccoli Leaves?

There are different types of broccoli worms, but the most common ones include cabbage worms, cabbage loopers, and diamond worms.

Cabbage Worms

These pests are pale velvety-green in color. Cabbage worms are actually caterpillars, specifically, the larvae of white butterflies. 

Cabbage Loopers

Meanwhile, cabbage loopers are the larvae of brown moths. Similar to cabbage worms, cabbage loopers are also green and smooth, but a slightly lighter in color compared to cabbage worms.

Diamondback Worms

These are the least common worms among the three. Diamondback worms are larvae of gray moths. There’s a diamond shape on their backs, hence their name. 

While there are some differences in the behavior and anatomy of these most common broccoli worms, for the most part, they all behave in the exact same way. Because these worms are light green in color, they easily blend in with your broccoli plants. If you don’t eliminate them as soon as you notice them, they can completely ruin your broccoli plants.

Other types of broccoli worms include cabbage root maggots, cutworms, cabbage webworms, and cabbage loopers.

What Are the Signs of Broccoli Worm Infestation?

The most common indication that your broccoli plants are infested with pests is many large, irregular leaf holes chewed into the leaves. You might also observe that the growth of your broccoli plant is slowed. Often, you’ll spot greenish-brown droppings left behind on the heads of your broccoli plants.

What Are Cabbage Moths?

Cabbage moths are probably the top adversary of broccoli plants. These insects are grayish brown in color, have dark markings on their wings, and about 1.5 inches in length.

Cabbage moths lay their eggs on the underside of leaves, then their larvae develop from the eggs and devour the leaves of your plants. Even though cabbage moths’ eggs are tiny, they will later on hatch into caterpillars that will consume the outer and inner leaves of your healthy broccoli plants and will grow enormously.

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How to Get Rid of Cabbage Moth Larvae?

Just like the treatment with cutworms, you can apply it to cabbage moths as well:

• Manually pick the larvae using your hands while wearing gloves then throw them in a pail of soapy water. If you can take it, you can squish them.
• If you’re growing a lot of cabbages, ideally you’d want to use pesticides such as the one with Bacillus thuringiensis.
• And the best way is to prevent them from damaging your plants by inspecting your plants every day or every other day at least.

What Is the Life Cycle of Broccoli Worms?

Learning the life cycle of a broccoli worm or a cabbage worm can be very beneficial as you work toward cabbage worm damage in your yard.

Broccoli worms are normally around 1 ¼ inch long and are velvety green in color. They have hundreds of tiny hairs and are normally spotted in the spring to late fall. Adult female broccoli worms normally emerge in the early spring, hatching as green pupae after overwintering in garden debris or soil. Then they develop into adults as white or pale yellow butterflies with black markings.

Then these butterflies continue the cycle by laying up to 200 tiny yellow eggs on your plants, normally under the leaves. The tiny eggs hatch in just around a week to become young caterpillars. The broccoli worms then feed for around two weeks and then pupate and turn into butterflies.

What Do Broccoli Worms Eat?

Aside from broccoli plants, these worms also eat cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard, collars, and other similar plants.

If you have other plants such as dill, carrots, anise, parsley, or fennel, and you spot worms, then these are most likely another green caterpillar species like the Anise Swallowtail.

How Do I Stop Broccoli Worms From Eating My Plants?

Here are some tips you can use to stop broccoli worms from eating your plants:

Use Predatory Wasps

Do you know that there are a number of beneficial bugs that can aid you to keep broccoli worms prevented? One of the most popular insects that you can use to fight broccoli worms are predatory wasps.

Predatory wasps lay eggs on the broccoli worms, and once the wasps’ eggs hatch, the adult wasps dig into the larvae of butterflies and devour them inside.

Expert Tip: If you can’t find or acquire predatory wasps online, you can invite them into your garden by planting some dill or fennel near your broccoli plants.

Companion Planting

Another easy method to ward of broccoli worms is through companion planting. Flowers that have strong fragrances such as chamomile, and herbs such as dill and sage can prevent moths and butterflies from laying their eggs. No butterfly eggs laid, means no caterpillars! 

Fun Fact: Some growers plant certain types of plants to attract animals that eat broccoli worms such as birds, toads, and frogs.

Try to Rotate Your Crop

This method is one of the most effective and simplest ways to keep broccoli worms controlled. Get rid of crop debris after harvest and pull up weeds 3 weeks before your plant. By doing so, you’ll be able to get rid of possible spots where the bugs could be overwintered.

Fertilize and Water Your Plants Regularly

Plants, including broccoli plants, are more likely to get infested with pests when they are not healthy due to lack of nutrients and water. Sticking to a good fertilizing and watering regimen will surely prevent different types of broccoli bugs such as mites, slugs, flea beetles, aphids, caterpillars, etc. from seriously damaging your plants.

Take note that a healthy plant is naturally more pest resistant. So, before growing some broccoli plants, be sure that the soil is rich in nutrients, particularly nitrogen, and has proper drainage. This should help you have a more successful and pest-free yield eventually.

Get Rid of the Pests Manually

If you spot broccoli worms on your broccoli plants, you can manually pick them up and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. Or a better alternative is to give them to your chickens as food!

Use Row Covers

These tools are one of the most organic and easiest methods to prevent broccoli worms and other insects from becoming a serious problem. Row covers give protection from a number of usual broccoli pests, especially during the high-infestation weeks of spring and summer. 

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Just in case you don’t want to go through the time of putting out do-it-yourself row covers, a quick and good alternative is to place the whole head of your broccoli plant or broccoli florets in nylon stockings or panty hose.

What Do Broccoli Worms Need to Survive?

Just like any living creature on this planet, broccoli worms also need air, water, and food to survive. In particular, they love to eat lots of plants to prepare for their metamorphosis. Aside from broccoli plants, broccoli worms also love brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, and cabbage (that’s why they are also sometimes called imported cabbageworms).

Where Do Broccoli Worms Come From?

As I’ve already mentioned above, there are three most common types of broccoli worms, namely cabbage worms, cabbage loopers and diamondback worms. The cabbage worms are the larvae of white cabbage butterfly. While the cabbage loopers are the larvae of brown moths. And lastly, the diamondback worms are larvae of, well … diamondback moths!

What Other Damage Can Broccoli Worms Cause to Plants?

Aside from eating your plants’ leaves, broccoli worms can also attack the buds and developing tips of your plants. This prevents broccoli head formation and makes the harvest bad. Some worms also target the stems and cut through them. Overall, they negatively affect the growth and development of your broccoli plants, so make sure to address them right away once you spot some of these bugs.

What Can I Spray on My Broccoli for Bugs?

There are various types of organic pesticides that you can use on your broccoli plants to eliminate insect pests. The most popular options you can use are neem oil, insecticidal soap, and products that contain Bacillus thuringiensis.

Bacillus thuringiensis makes broccoli orms sick, and slowly kills them. Products that contain this ingredient are perfectly safe for beneficial insects like the predatory wasps, other plants, and of course for humans. Pesticides that contain Bacillus thuringiensis are available at most garden stores but you can also buy one online.

If the pest infestation is not that serious, you can handpick the worms and throw them in a bucket of soapy water. But if the problem is severe, it’s best to use a pesticide with Bacillus thuringiensis.

How Do I Prevent My Broccoli Leaves From Being Eaten?

The best way to prevent your broccoli leaves from being eaten is to have a healthy garden. Instead of waiting for the pests to cause damage, you should ward them off by properly watering your plants, trimming in advance, and by improving the soil.

But aside from prevention, here are other ways you can prevent your broccoli leaves from being eaten:

Often Clean the Planting Area 

Clean the area by removing dead blooms, stalks, or leaves, as well as weeds and grass from your plant’s soil surface. This debris can be a good place for pests such as thrips to hide and attack your broccoli plants once they get the chance

Also, after you harvest, make sure to clean away crop trash in the garden, particularly if you also have onion leaves around the area.

Moreover, keep in mind that several pests such as flea beetles overwinter in the ground and consume rotting plant debris, so make sure to clean up your garden thoroughly at the end of the season to prevent these pests from attacking your broccoli plants next.

Set Up Some Physical Barriers

You can also prevent your broccoli leaves from being eaten by setting up some physical barriers. One good example is gardening textiles or row coverings. These barriers are great tools for keeping those pesky pests away from your broccoli plants.

Alternatively, you can use pheromone traps such as the one below to alert you to the presence of moths in your yard.

Dr. Killigan’s Premium Pantry Moth Traps with Pheromones Prime | Non-Toxic Sticky Glue Trap for Food and Cupboard Moths in Your Kitchen | How to Get Rid of Moths | Organic (6, Black)

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• NOT FOR CLOTHING MOTHS or GYPSY MOTHS. Only EFFECTIVE Against the Indian Meal Moth and Other Food Moths. PROTECTS Your Bird Seed, Pet Food, Whole Grains, Flour, Almonds, Raisins and Other Dry Goods. Use Dr. Killigan’s Clothing Moth Traps to control clothes moths attacking fabrics, fur or feathers.
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You should cover juvenile plants with hot caps, row covers, and other kinds of plant cages to protect your plants. Don’t worry because these barriers can be removed during the delicate broccoli seedling stage or kept on for improved bird and pest protection for your plants.

Another alternative is sticky traps. These traps are great because they effectively help in controlling thrips, whiteflies, and aphids if you’re growing broccoli plants in a greenhouse or at home.

TERRO T3206SR Non-Toxic Indoor Spider, Ant, Cockroach, Centipede, and Crawling Insect Trap – 12 Traps

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Maintain Soil Quality

Always remember that plants that have strong immune systems are better equipped against pests and diseases when grown in good soil. To start improving your soil quality, begin by adding some compost to the soil and reducing tillage.

Fun Fact: Healthy soil allows your plants to compete with weeds.

A good quality soil also has several functions that help your plant’s growth. These include air and water supply management, biological control of plant pests, and nutrient cycling.

Introduce Companion Plants

The tendency of certain plants to attract predatory insects such as lacewings and ladybugs is a good reason to do companion planting.

One of the most effective companion plants are herbs. They attract beneficial bugs while repelling pesky insects. Aside from that, the leaves and aroma of herbs make them ideal for both decorative borders and vegetable garden.

Rather than mono-crops, alternate vegetables with rows of pest-repelling and beneficial insect-attracting flowers and herbs.

When planted near or among your vegetables, the strong-scented companion plants will ward off pests. You don’t need to do any extra effort just to ward off pests.

Here’s a list of the most popular companion plants for broccoli:

• Oregano – wards off cabbage white butterfly
• Hyssop – wards off cabbage moths
• Coriander – wards off aphids
• Celery – wards off white cabbage moth
• Allium – wards off moles, weevils, and aphids

Attract Beneficial Insects to Fight Broccoli Pests

Broccoli pests have many natural enemies such as ladybugs and lacewings. These beneficial insects provide some biological control.

If you want to attract beneficial insects, you should plant aromatic flowers and herbs such as golden marguerite, yarrow, coriander, and dill. Ladybugs and lacewings will be able to control pests such as Colorado potato beetles, leafhoppers, whiteflies, and aphids.

You can also attract another beneficial insect, called damsel beetles by planting spearmint, fennel, and caraway. Damsel beetles are perfect if you have imported cabbage worm infestation as they feed on these worms.

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Related article you might be interested in:

• Broccoli Microgreens- An Easy Step-by-Step Guide to Growing Them

Last update on 2022-11-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API