Hot, dry weather yields blizzard of butterflies

Cabbage butterflies have taken the province by storm, due to this year's hot, dryweather.

Also known as cabbage moths orcabbage worms, the white, fluttering bugsnormally thrive in temperatures rangingfrom 10 to 35 degrees, saidScottHartley,an insect specialist with the province's Ministry of the Environment.

This year poses ideal conditions for them, said Hartley.

He noted they can cycle through three to five generations in one summer. As their name suggests, they diet on cabbage and any plants in the cabbage family. That means gardeners might haveto keep an eye on their plants.

Also, a note to farmers fromHartley:thebutterfliesattackcanolaplants, butthey go for the vegetation of the plants, and not their pods.That means they will not likely affect the harvest, and there's no need to spray for them.

The blizzard of butterflies means more food for predators, like birds and other insects.Even beetles and small wasps will gorge themselves on the white-winged insects, Hartleysaid.

He expects the cabbage-eaters to stick around likely until autumn, whentemperatures start droppingto below 10 degrees.