Caterpillar Eating Mint
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: G. Raab
Posted on: July 04, 2006

I have spearmint growing. Seems that some kind of moth has been starting to eat and distroy my mint. I use the mint for cooking. Would like to know if there is some kind of repellent to get rid of the moths yet is safe. I use the mint fresh also.

A neem oil and soap spray will work well as a repellent and killer of any caterpillars that are present, but it smells like rotting onions. You will have to wait a couple of days before you can use the leaves again. If you wash the spray off with soap some of the natural oils giving the leaves the nice taste will go too, so you would have to use more to get the same taste intensity. If you use the spray often enough you may exhaust the local supply of this moth and have peace for some time.

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