8 Organic Ways to Get Rid of Cabbage Worms & Cabbage Moths

By Deanna Talerico updated Jun. 12th, 2024, published Jan. 4th, 2020

Come learn eight ways to get rid of cabbage worms and cabbage moths. As one of the most common garden pests, they can be sneaky, frustrating, and cause a lot of damage to plants! But I have good news: there are many easy ways to stop cabbage worms from destroying your garden, and still reap a beautiful, bountiful harvest.

Some of these cabbage worm control options are preventative in nature, such as covering your plants with floating row covers – or even tricking the moths with color! Other methods involve directly killing the caterpillars. No matter what you choose, rest assured that all 8 of these methods are considered organic.

an overview view of a cabbage plant that is severely damaged by cabbage worms, including holes in the main head and almost completely missing some of the outer leaves, left as only thin veiny stems

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RELATED: Come learn how to grow cabbage in our comprehensive guide. Or, see how to naturally manage slugs and pillbugs with homemade slug beer traps, or get rid of grub worms on the garden.

Before we dive into how to get rid of cabbage worms, let’s briefly familiarize ourselves with these little pests. Also, please keep in mind that an organic garden is not a perfect one. A few cabbage worms or nibbles holes is not the end of the world! But a decimated cabbage like the one shown above? I think we all want to prevent that.

What are Cabbage Moths and Cabbage Worms?

“Cabbage worms” is a relatively generic term that refers to a handful of species of small green pest caterpillars.
As their names suggest, they are most attracted to the cabbage and mustard plant family. Also known as the brassica family, this includes veggies like broccoli, kale, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, turnip greens, and of course, cabbage. Yet we also find cabbage worms on a wide variety of other plants in our garden, including flowers.
Some cabbage worms are the larvae of small white butterflies, seen flitting around gardens during the day. The white butterflies are often referred to as “cabbage whites” or “cabbage moths” – even though they aren’t really moths at all. However, there is a similar caterpillar, the cabbage looper, that does indeed come from a brown nocturnal moth. Cabbage loopers closely resemble butterfly cabbage worms, except cabbage loopers are usually skinnier and move like inchworms… you know, humping along.
Both cabbage worms and cabbage loopers are controlled in the same manner.

A cabbage white butterfly is feeding on a purple flower in the sunlight. The background is blurry green while the flower and butterfly are in focus. — Cabbage white butterfly. Image courtesy of the Telegraph UK

Cabbage Worm Life Cycle & Damage Caused

Cabbage moths or butterflies don’t directly damage plants themselves. That fun job is left up to the their larvae – the “worms”. If you notice white butterflies dancing around your garden, they’re probably laying eggs, and thus creating future destructive cabbage worms. As they land on plants, cabbage moths often bump their butts on leaves to deposit eggs.

Cabbage moth eggs look like white or yellow oblong dots. They are almost always attached to the underside of leaves. If you find and recognize these eggs, squishing them is a great early control method! However, please note that ladybug eggs are also oblong and yellow, but are found in clusters. Cabbage worm eggs are usually sporadic and solo.

As the larvae of cabbage moths and butterflies emerge from their eggs, the cabbage worms begin to immediately feed on the surrounding plant matter. This creates little holes in the leaves, expanding to larger holes – or to completely demolished leaves and plants as the caterpillars grow in size and population.

Some cabbage worm damage is only cosmetic, but can otherwise be devastating to small tender seedlings. The caterpillars will continue to eat and grow for several weeks, until they’re old enough to form a chrysalis and transform into a cabbage white butterfly (or moth).

A hand is holding a partially eaten cabbage leaf with about ten cabbage white caterpillars on it. They have been manually removed from multiple plants throughout the garden.

8 Organic Ways to Prevent or Get Rid of Cabbage Worms

Now that you know more about their lifecycle, here are several ways to get rid of cabbage worms in your garden – organically! Let’s discuss each of them below.

Manual Removal
Floating Row Covers
Plant Purple & Red Varieties
Use Polyculture & Companion Planting
Beneficial Insects
Decoy Moths
Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) Spray
Neem Oil Spray

1) Manual Removal of Cabbage Worms

Manually squishing or removing certain pests right when you see them is often the most quick, easy and effective way to stop them in their tracks. Especially if you are only trying to manage a handful of plants. I often hand-pick cabbage worms and caterpillars off brassicas or leafy greens and give them to our chickens (or resident lizards). I also know some gardener friends that nab cabbage moths with butterfly nets and tennis rackets!

To get rid of cabbage worms by hand, you’ll need to inspect your plants frequently. Make it a routine to check over your plants once or twice per week.

When you’re out on the hunt, keep in mind that cabbage are most often found on the underside of leaves, or tucked in the new growth at the plant’s center. Sneaky cabbage worms will also lay along the center vein of a kale leaf, blending in and perfectly disguised. In addition to holey leaves, the “frass” or poop that they leave behind is a key indicator that a cabbage caterpillar is nearby! Look for poop.

It can be effective to squish or collect cabbage worms by hand, but you can also go after cabbage moth eggs to stop the damage even sooner. Examine the underside of leaves for the little oblong white to yellow dots, and simply wipe them away. Then they’re gone before they can do any damage at all.

A three way image collage, the first image shows a kale leaf with two cabbage white butterfly eggs on it. They are slightly more yellowish orange, and indication that it will soon hatch. Each egg has been circled purple using a paint app. during editing to highlight the egg. The second image shows the inside of a cauliflower plant, there is a cabbage white caterpillar attached on one of the leaves eating away. It has also been circled purple to highlight the caterpillar and how it camouflages against the plants leaves. The third image shows the inside of a cauliflower plant and the caterpillar poop that has collected in the bottom of it. If you see poop, a caterpillar is usually near. — Cabbage moth eggs shown on top, and a cabbage worm (and its tell-tale poop) on the bottom.

2) Row Covers

One of the best ways to keep cabbage worms from eating your plants is to prevent the cabbage moths from accessing the plants to lay eggs in the first place. No eggs = no worms. Individual plants, raised beds, or sections thereof can be protected with row covers, traditionally supported on hoop structures. Also called “floating row covers”, they block out pests or other undesirable elements.

Some row covers are used to stop insects, while others may be used for frost-protection or providing shade. We use them in our garden to control cabbage worms as well as protect tender young seedlings from wild birds. Row covers can also protect your plants other garden pests like squirrels, rabbits, birds, neighborhood cats, and other nibblers too.

We use a combination of these sleek hoops along with this insect netting in our garden. Both have lasted many years of regular use! Be sure to tuck in or secure the insect netting around the bed perimeter the moths don’t sneak in from the sides. Learn more about garden hoops and row covers here, including tips about DIY PVC garden hoops, and using covers for shade or frost protection.

Four raised wooden garden beds are covered with floating row covers with the assistance of hoops to keep the covers elevated off the plants below. There are many bushes, shrubs, and trees lining the perimeter of the garden. — These hoops work perfectly in our 2 and 3-foot wide beds. With the addition of these base extenders, they also fit well across our widest beds (4.5 feet). To provide more “head room” or arch over larger plants like Brussels sprouts and tomatoes, the hi-rise super hoops would work best.

Two raised garden beds full of a variety of leafy green vegetables is shown. Each bed has three metal hoops placed evenly across the bed. Floating row covers are usually placed over the top of the raised beds and kept off the plants with the assistance of the hoops. — With the row covers removed for photos and harvesting. Even with the plants fully grown in, we still lay the floating row covers on top of the hoops (and parts rest directly on the plants too, which is more than okay) and secure it to the hoops with clothes pins.

3) Plant Purple & Red Varieties

Did you know that pests are less attracted to red and purple vegetables? They sure are! So, choosing red and purple varieties of the cabbage family is one way to control cabbage worm damage.

Year after year, the purple cabbage and red kale in our garden is significantly less eaten by cabbage worms and aphids than their green counterparts.

One reasonable theory is that green or pale-colored pests can’t blend in and hide as easily on brightly-colored vegetables as they can on green ones. That would make them an easy target for predators.

Furthermore, studies show that anthocyanin (the antioxidant-rich flavonoid that makes red, purple and blue-pigmented veggies so good for us!) is actually mildly toxic to caterpillars. It may even deter larger pests like squirrels!

Raised garden beds are shown, the bed in the foreground has red cabbage planted in the front and green cabbage planted in the back. While the beds further away are full of red giant mustard greens and fava beans. — In a garden bed of both red and green cabbage, the cabbage moths will almost exclusively lay eggs on the green cabbage! Don’t believe me? See the photos below.

A two way image collage, the first image shows a close up of a green cabbage head. There are many holes throughout the various leaves on the plant due to cabbage white caterpillars. The second image shows a close up of a red cabbage head and it does not have any holes in it from cabbage white caterpillars even though it is planted right next to the green. Cabbage white butterflies lay almost exclusively on the green cabbage because they are drawn to the green color as opposed to the purple or red. — Planted in the same bed, every green cabbage has cabbage worm damage – while the red cabbages are all unblemished.

4) Polyculture & Companion Planting

Growing a wide variety of plants creates biodiversity in your garden. This is a great way to attract beneficial insects, reduce pest pressure, and encourage natural balance.

Additionally, variety and polyculture – the term for mixing many types of plants in one space – reduces the chances of widespread devastation by pests that are all attracted to the same crop. Meaning, it may not be the best idea to plant an entire garden bed full of just broccoli.

Consider interplanting some companion plants with your pest-prone crops. For example, brassica companion plants like thyme, dill, oregano, lavender, onions, garlic, and marigolds are said to deter cabbage moths. Learn more with our full garden companion planting chart and guide.

On the other hand, some companion plants can serve as a “trap crop” and actually attract cabbage worms – while luring them away from your veggies! Nasturtiums are a prime example. However, be sure to periodically remove infested trap crop plants to prevent a booming population of cabbage moths in your garden. Or manually remove and kill the cabbage worms from the trap crops.

A hand is holding about ten cabbage white caterpillars after they have been manually removed from the nasturtium trap plant in the background. Trap plants help keep the caterpillars off your vegetables. — I hand-picked all of these cabbage worms from a potted nasturtium, planted as a trap crop at the end of a bed of collard greens and kale. These little jerks ate all of the nasturtium flowers and many of the leaves, but completely left the brassica veggies alone! Companion planting for the win.

5) Use Decoy Cabbage Moths

Apparently, cabbage moths are territorial and will stay away if there are other cabbage whites around! Thus, some gardeners have success in getting rid of cabbage worms (or at least reducing their presence) by placing decoy or dummy white butterflies around their garden beds to deter them. The most common way to do this is to make your own. There are printable templates available online to help.

6) Beneficial Insects: Parasitic Wasps

Parasitic wasps lay their eggs inside or on top of other arthropods, including caterpillars and their pupae. Once their eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the host caterpillar, killing it.

Therefore, these beneficial insects can be a great tool against cabbage worms and other pest caterpillars like tomato horn worms. There are dozens of species and types, so they won’t all look like the one shown below.

You can encourage parasitic wasps to come naturally by fostering a healthy bio-diverse organic garden space, or you can actually buy them online. Thes e Trichogramma wasps are a popular choice. Unlike other large wasps that you may be imagining, these do not bite or sting, and go virtually unnoticed by humans!

However, I am leery of purchasing parasitic wasps since we also encourage beneficial caterpillars like monarchs, swallowtails, and native butterfly larvae in our garden. I’d rather let them come naturally if they will.

A black parasitic wasp with orange legs is inserting an appendage into a caterpillar where it will deposit eggs that will turn into larva and feed on the host caterpillar until the caterpillar dies. — A parasitic wasp. Photo from Phys.org

7) Bacillus Thuringiensis – “Bt”

Bacillus thuringiensis, also known as Bt, is a naturally-occurring, soil-dwelling bacteria. It is a common active ingredient in organic biological pesticides. Namely, it kills caterpillars. Bt is ONLY toxic against the larvae of butterflies or moths. It makes them stop eating. Therefore, Bt is commonly used to get rid of cabbage worms and cabbage loopers on the brassica plant family. When applied to vegetable crops, Bt is considered safe for human consumption even if sprayed the same day as harvest.

“Bt is a bacterium that is not toxic to humans or other mammals, but is toxic to certain insects when ingested. It works as an insecticide by producing a crystal-shaped protein (Cry toxin) that specifically kills certain insects. Bt is naturally found on leaves and in soil worldwide, and has been used commercially both in organic and conventional agriculture for over fifty years. Over two decades of review, the EPA and numerous scientific bodies have consistently found that Bt and Bt-crops are not harmful to humans.”
Entomological Society of America

Bt spray is available to purchase either pre-mixed, or as a concentrate that must be diluted before it is applied to plants. Concentrates are the more cost-effective option. When cabbage worms are running a muck our garden (and all other measures have failed) we use this Bt concentrate from Safer brand. Keep reading below for tips on exactly how to use Bt in the garden.

Bt Caterpillar Killer, approved for organic gardening

How to Use Bt in the Garden

When mixing Bt spray, follow the directions on the Bt product you purchase. For the one we use, it calls to dilute 1 tablespoon of Bt per one gallon of water. Mix well directly in your pump sprayer. Spray your plants of concern to the point of dripping, including the bottom of leaves.

Like other foliar sprays, it is best to apply your Bt solution in the evening hours. Yet Bt is even more mild than others, and doesn’t pose the same risk for accidentally burning leaves with improper applications. On the contrary, Bt rapidly degrades in sunlight and also washes off with rain or other water. It is most effective the day or two after application, and considered virtually non existent after a week.

Bt is most effective against small caterpillars so is important to treat caterpillar-infested plants early on. It may not impact larger caterpillars, such as those over 1 inch long. You may need to hand-pick those big boys.

Avoid applying Bt in windy conditions. Since it will kill all small caterpillars (including larvae of beneficial butterflies) please be very cautious to not accidentally overspray onto non-target areas or near host plants like milkweed.

A close up image of a black, yellow and white striped monarch caterpillar on top of a milkweed plant, eating a yellow flower. The background is a blurred green garden area — Save the monarchs! Don’t use Bt in non-target areas, pollinator zones, or near host plants.

8) Neem Oil

Neem oil is a plant-based oil that is extracted from the seeds of the India-native neem tree. Concentrated neem oil must be diluted and mixed, and then sprayed onto plants for organic pest control. Neem oil is particularly effective at controlling small soft-bodied insects like aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs, scale, and white flies. When applied directly, the oil can coat their bodies and kill them – or otherwise interfere with reproduction and feeding.

Neem oil can also help repel cabbage moths, mosquitoes, and flies. Therefore, routinely spraying your garden with a neem oil solution may make your plants less attractive to pests. However, if your plant is already infested, neem oil will not typically kill cabbage worms.

That said, neem oil is last on this list of cabbage worm control options for a reason. Used in conjunction with other control methods, neem oil can help the problem but will not likely prevent or eliminate the presence of cabbage moths entirely.

If you want to use neem oil in your garden, read more about how to properly mix and use neem oil here. Because neem combats fungal diseases like powdery mildew and doesn’t harm beneficial insects (when used correctly), it can be a great product to use in an organic garden. Yet when neem oil is applied incorrectly or in the wrong situation (which is common) it can do more harm than good.

A hand is holding a one-gallon pump spray bottle, poised over an artichoke plant growing in a wine barrel and spraying neem oil on it

And that is how to get rid of cabbage worms.

In closing, I hope you learned some new helpful tips to control cabbage worms! Again, perfection is not the goal here. Please don’t get discouraged (or feel tempted to reach for chemical pesticides) if your plants have a few blemishes. In contrast, be proud of your efforts to grow food in an organic manner! I commend you.

Please feel free to ask any questions, and spread the love by sharing this article.

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55 Comments

Popeye

May 1, 2022 at 8:03 am Reply

We don’t plant brassica plants normally so Cabbage Worms are not a big issue. What Is a big issue is the darned Japanese Beetles. They wreck havoc on my Okra
Liz

August 7, 2021 at 12:48 pm Reply

Thank you so much for this article. It has been very helpful. I’m pretty new to vegetable gardening and this year had high hopes for my collards, kale, and broccoli. But alas, we couldn’t keep up with the cabbage moths/butterflies laying eggs throughout the summer or the resulting caterpillars who dined on the beautiful leaves! We removed caterpillars (and some other not so cute larvae) almost every day, but they still managed to destroy all of our plants. I was sorry that I wasn’t knowledgable about this probability in our area. I would have started my plants under the cover of the insect netting. I would like to try again for a fall crop. I’m growing my plants in fabric “smart pots”. Would you advise using the super hoops or the high-rise hoops that will be put into the ground on either side of a row of pots. I’m thinking that the high-rise size will be needed to allow for the height of the pots and the growth of the greens. Also, are the base extenders needed?
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  August 8, 2021 at 9:01 am Reply
  
  Hi Liz, I think using the Hi-Rise super hoops would be best at that would give you more flexibility in being able to use for a number of crops. The base extenders are useful but you can probably get by without them, you will just have to “stake” the bottom of the hoops into the ground. We have done this by using landscape staples and will use two staples for each end to stake the hoop to the ground, tent stakes or something similar would also work. Hope that helps and good luck!
Heidi

April 29, 2021 at 7:08 am Reply

Interesting what you say about red / purple varieties. I noticed my red cabbage seedlings were thriving, while the poor green ones look like lace 🙁. But we shall get there!

Another tip I just read about was planting land cress (yes, edible) which is toxic for cabbage white caterpillars.

Also mixing 50/50 baking powder and flour and sprinkling on plants will effectively kill these pests.
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  April 29, 2021 at 8:04 am Reply
  
  Thanks for the tips and good luck!
Hannah

August 12, 2020 at 8:12 am Reply

I have also discovered the little bugs on my columbines; they ate one to the stems 🙁 (it was NOT a trap crop, it was in my flower beds). BUT now I know nasturtiums and columbines will save my brassicas! And they’re pretty pops in the veg beds, AND hummingbirds like both of those flowers! Assuming, of course, the cabbage worms don’t eat them first.
Dave

July 20, 2020 at 9:30 am Reply

I’m not sure how calling “cabbage moths” a moth has become so prevalent. “Cabbage moths” are actually butterflies.
- DeannaCat
  
  July 20, 2020 at 11:40 am Reply
  
  Yes, that is explained at the very start of the article 🙂 However, cabbage loopers (similar to cabbage worms) do come from a nocturnal brown moth. The remedies explained in the article addresses both.
Amanda

July 13, 2020 at 2:26 pm Reply

This is useful, thank you!

We don’t have a massive problem, but I did discover that we have them hiding out inside the forming cabbage heads. Since they are hiding inside, I can’t manually pick them off (I did get two, but now the heads are too tight and I know I had more than two). Which of these methods would you most recommend for when they are hiding in the heads? I’m just wondering if you think they will come out to the leaves that the spray reaches before they’ve decimated the inner head, or if I can pour some sort of liquid in there instead of spraying.

Also kind of wondering if pouring a bunch of water in there would effectively drown them, but I’m guessing probably not.

I will say that we don’t have a lot of cabbage worms. I think it might have been these that destroyed a few leaves on our kale, but I think that was mainly because we let them sit too long in the summer heat before harvesting, so they were weak. The main pests molesting our brassicas have been flea beetles. They’re everywhere, and the DE doesn’t seem to deter them much. I’ve resorted to manually catching them with sticky mouse traps.

(A warning to anyone reading this: do NOT just leave the sticky traps out to catch them hopping around. I did, and it worked, but I caught some flies, too, which turned into bait for our sparrows. I don’t want you to experience the same rotten feeling I did when I realized I had caught five sparrows and had to kill them because there was no saving them. Just get the beetles to jump on the trap and then toss the trap.)
- Aaron (Mr. DeannaCat)
  
  July 30, 2020 at 3:57 pm Reply
  
  The cabbage worms typically won’t stay too far inside the head of the cabbage, that is usually what aphids do. BT spray will work because they will eventually come into contact with the outer leaves, just remember, BT is most effective on caterpillars that are less than an inch in size. The big ones will have to be manually removed.
  - Amanda
    
    July 30, 2020 at 11:17 pm Reply
    
    Thank you. We recently sprayed all our brassicas and are waiting to see the results. We’ll definitely spray more than once because the butterflies are still mating. I just saw a pair doing so today. Unfortunately, they are a little more quick to escape than most insects. I can even catch grasshoppers if I move slowly enough, but nothing fools those butterflies. Alas. I continue to check over the brassicas regularly, just in case. I’ve found a pretty good number the past few weeks, but so far they have been small.
    
    Surprisingly, today I found a cabbage worm on our purple lady bok choy. I guess that butterfly decided to take a gamble.
Lisa M. Blacker

July 5, 2020 at 2:45 pm Reply

Thanks much for this! Very helpful to identify what’s been bugging us!

I’ve been picking them off of our brassicas for a week or so, several times per day in order to catch them while they are still small. This seems to have helped since our balcony container garden is small. We saw the moth and thought it was so nice that we had a pollinator!! When we started seeing the holes in our broccoli leaves, I went hunting for the culprit and pulled off those I saw. Then, we noticed the succession seedlings were attacked—a few of them decimated—and the mature curly kale was yet another feeding ground. If you brush out the poop when you remove a worm or two, then look for more poop next time, it’s easier to see if there are more worms to find.

You may want to advise your readers that the tiny worms will still live on the leaves after harvesting, even after a good rinse with the sprayers. I’m about to take the harvested leaves and soak them in cold salted water, which I’ve heard from another gardener is effective and safe.
Sheila

June 21, 2020 at 7:11 am Reply

What about diatomaceous earth as a treatment for the cabbage worms?
- DeannaCat
  
  June 23, 2020 at 7:18 am Reply
  
  Hi Sheila – DE isn’t effective against caterpillars. It only works on things with an exoskeleton.
Brook

May 28, 2020 at 12:09 pm Reply

So you say to avoid over-spraying Bt but you also say one application only lasts two days. Does this mean it should be sprayed about 3 times a week to be fully effective? Just sounds like a lot! Thanks
- DeannaCat
  
  May 28, 2020 at 1:15 pm Reply
  
  Hi Brook – By avoiding “over-spraying” I mean not off the target plants and onto nearby non-target plants, to avoid harming beneficial caterpillars like monarchs or swallowtails that may be around. Yes, the Bt is most active during the first few days (and takes a few days to kill the caterpillars), but can be effective for a week or so depending on the weather (rain, intense sun, etc). No, I wouldn’t recommend repetitive treatments like you’re saying. Not that it would be harmful… it would just be wasteful and unnecessary. You have to think about the life cycle of the caterpillar, and how the Bt works (they have to consume it, and then slowly die). If you treat the plants once and it gets rid of all the caterpillars, it will be a couple weeks until the newest eggs hatch, the small caterpillars grow, begin to feed, cause damage, etc. Even then, I wouldn’t treat that often. We don’t mind a few nibble holes in our greens and can usually manage a handful of caterpillars by hand. It is only when things get really out of control and they’re destroying the crops all together that we reach for the Bt. Even in the height of cabbage moth season, I wouldn’t find the need to use it more than once every 3-4 weeks (again, unless you’re hoping for picture perfect leaves with absolutely zero caterpillars). I hope that makes sense!
Susan Carroll

April 1, 2020 at 11:17 am Reply

Thanks for you article. Until this year I did not control cabbage moths; there wasn’t much damage to speak of. This Spring however I decided to squish the moths and realized that there were dozens. I try not to kill bugs but strike a reasonable balance. Last year I had a lot grasshoppers that loved tomatoes and eggplant. It’s possible that managing them better will be enough.