A new culprit found on kale in the garden

I went out to pick kale yesterday morning, and ended up on a hunting trip. I did remember to pick the kale — enough for a nice sauté for dinner, with onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes — but while I was at it, I got distracted by a little caterpillar (maybe an inch long) that I’d never seen before. It was pretty, with gray coloring on the top and a bright yellow stripe along each side.

I squished it, then went hunting for more, using the holes in some of the leaves as guides. I picked off about half a dozen more worms and tossed them into the lawn for the birds. Then I picked up my basket of harvested kale, and went back inside to do a Google search.

What was this new pest, eating holes in my beautiful kale plants? I discovered that the little worms are the larval stage of the Cross-Striped Cabbage moth (Evergestis rimosalis). This nondescript moth used to be found solely in the southeastern United States, but has expanded its range north into New England.

Part of my surprise in discovering the worms was because I had put a floating row cover over the kale patch, with the express purpose of preventing the Small Cabbage White butterfly (Pieris rapae) from laying its eggs on the kale leaves. I guess I needed to have made the covering more secure.

Curious as to who else in this area has seen this worm, I posted a photo and query to my Chester County Roots Facebook page. A quick reply to the post showed that the moth may have been present here for a while. I probably was unaware of it because I haven’t grown Brassicas — broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, etc. — in years. In any case, this encounter gives me reason, once again, to be amazed at how tiny creatures, roaming over the huge expanse of the landscape, can find the very host plants they need.

In other pest news, I was upset last week to find bits of flesh gouged out of the just-ripening tomato plants. At first, I thought that it must be the work of chipmunks, until I looked more closely at the wounds and saw how deep there were. (I’m thinking bluejays; they have beaks long enough.) My husband Charlie helped me enclose the tomato patch with bird netting, and we haven’t seen any further damage. We picked the damaged fruits and set them to finish ripening on the kitchen counter. Thankfully, the pecked parts were easily cut out, and had no ill effect on the deliciousness of our first tomato fruits.

Now, my attention has gone to the zucchini, which have just started producing and sadly, are showing a bit of chewing damage. This time, I’m pretty sure it’s the chipmunks, and I’m experimenting with scattering used coffee grounds and peppermint oil among the plants to deter them.

Note: There’s still time to enter my (informal) garden contest. (See “Get Away in Your Backyard,” July 12) Based on

Doug Tallamy’s idea of “Homegrown National Park,” let me know how what you’re doing (or not doing!) makes your property like a park. Have you planted or encouraged more native plants? Planted trees like white oak that support hundreds of species? Left a dead tree to decay? Set out a continuous water supply for wildlife? And, are you seeing more or different species as a result? Think of the enjoyment you get when visiting one of our national parks, and see how your own piece of our amazingly beautiful continent relates. Send me your entry by July 31, and include a photo or two if possible. (pcbaxter@verizon.net, or mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA. 19442)

PAM BAXTER Cross-striped cabbage moth larva on kale.