Treating Helicoverpa spp
 

Helicoverpa over here is often referred to as budworm, in the States I think you call it Boll worm, but whatever its name it can be devestating to those of us who grow our orchids outside. I usually routinely spray once a fortnight but for whatever reason my schedule was set aside and i forgot.

This afternoon I noticed buds on one of my mokaras looking a bit odd. On closer inspection I realised I had a fresh infestation of budworm. I removed the ones I could see and sprayed the rest.

The moth that lays our budworm lays about 2000 eggs over about a weeks period and as the name suggests, they attack the flower buds of my vandas! :((

So, on the hope that I may assist others who may get the same or similar problems;
I spray with Mavrik also known as Klartan. The active ingredient is Tau-fluvalinate. It has a very wide range of sucking and chewing insects that it attacks. The link - http://www.ma-industries.com/Data/Ca...bio/Mavrik.pdf - probably provides all the info you might wish to know including toxicity. I know that other products also contain the same active ingredient (such as bayers 3 in 1).

This stuff is pretty darn effective.

Cheers

Dang :(

Thanks for the info

wow thanks for the info is right, my hibiscus got attacked by agave moths and it laid its eggs in my oldest ones pots. Let me tell you when I found what I thought were gigantic grubb worms I almost had a heart attack!

Ooh, that's horrid! I hope you killed all those evil worms! That can be so satisfying :evil: Thanks for the info tho. ;)