Time For a Quick Useful Garden Craft – Deter Cabbage Moths With These Decoys
If you grow broccoli, cabbage, or any other brassica, be prepared for cabbage moths. Cabbage moths are a common cabbage pest and can be deterred using a cabbage moth decoy.
While I was preparing for the garden season this year, I learned about cabbage moth decoys. Last year my brussels sprouts and kale both wound up with many holes thanks to these moths. I do not want a repeat of last year.
A cabbage moth decoy is easy to make, and only needs a few supplies! Continue reading to learn how to make your own decoys.
Supplies For DIY Decoys For Cabbage Moths
In order to make decoys for cabbage moths, you only need a few supplies.
- Scissors
- Bamboo Skewers
- Plastic (I used a Fairlife milk carton) or Canvas
- Permanent Marker
- Decoy Template
Tips For Making Decoys
When deciding on which material to use – plastic or canvas – it’s really up to you. I made decoys out of both, I think the canvas decoys will “flutter” a little and look more lifelike. The plastic is pretty rigid, but may have a little “flutter”. For me, I chose to use a Fairlife milk container – simply wash, and remove the outer label.
As far as the dots on the decoys go, creating 4 dots using a permanent marker is very simple. Using the template ensures a perfect placement! With the template, I recommend creating a small hole where the dots should go, so you can easily line it up, and draw the dots. First, I made a light dot, removed the template, and created a darker dot. Using this method was easy for me.
Choosing your bamboo skewer length is up to you. The pack I purchased has various lengths, and I used all the sizes. Using various lengths ensures I get a variety of heights for the decoys. My thought is that having different heights may look more real.
How Effective Are The Decoys?
These decoys did an OK job at deterring the moths. I must say that the plastic ones list their black dots over time, and some of the cloth ones fell apart – that’s all due to the weather and outdoor elements. I still had holes in my brassicas, but it was significantly less than last year.
Would I use these again? Absolutely, yes! Over winter, I’ll find a more permanent solution for the black dots, or make a note to check these during the summer months. I’m all about preventing anything I can in the garden, and this is a helpful way to do just that.
While you wait for the next post, take a look at all my tips & tricks!
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