What is it this year with the white butterfly's?

[Generalchaos]

No, not the falang ones that hang around in bars. The white sort of cabbage white butterflies that are inundating the areas around Chiang Mai.

There are thousands and thousands of these things flying around the past couple of days.

We have thousands in our garden and when you drive up onto the highways around here they are like swarms. Never seen it like this ever before. Guess they will deposit their caterpillars and devastate all the green foliage that is left from the drought.

Edited May 27, 2016 by Generalchaos

[lj cm]

I just came back from a trip to Isan and they were all over the north and eastern Thailand.

Must be millions and millions of them.

[Ireland32]

I just came back from a trip to Isan and they were all over the north and eastern Thailand.

Must be millions and millions of them.

Ll over Udon and Nong Han, Seka, Buek en long, monarch and big black ones, sign of healthy environment, I hope, white ones are more greenish like cabbage Edited May 28, 2016 by Ireland32

[Generalchaos]

You don't think it is something to do with the ongoing drought? It certainly will mean a massive ramp up in the use of insecticides on all of the vegetables up this way. Those white butterflies spawn those large green caterpillars that can probably go through an entire cabbage in one day!

Nightmare for anyone growing things like kale, cabbage, cauliflower. They are also extremely destructive to a lot of garden flowers and plants here.

[chowny77]

It is a good sign to have a lot of butterflies as it means many plants and trees will be pollinated so an increase in crops for the farmers. I know that as a caterpillar they can be seen as a pest but to be honest this year the farmers have bigger problems to deal with such as the lack of water. But as pointed out from the poster before me, the Thai's will most likely rely on pesticides to remove the larva of the butterflies which is counter productive as they just make their products unsuitable for sale.

[Generalchaos]

Chowny77, I like your faith in humanity - Do you really think the farmers will stop selling produce that have been drenched in pesticides?

The local government office in our Tam Boen checked all the residents blood for pesticide residue, every single person in the area was found to have high levels of pesticides in their bodies.

[pgrahmm]

OP is correct.....

White butterflies have been around since about 1400.....

And still feel wantonly justified - rationalisation still a part of the migration process .......

[Skeptic7]

Chowny77, I like your faith in humanity - Do you really think the farmers will stop selling produce that have been drenched in pesticides?

The local government office in our Tam Boen checked all the residents blood for pesticide residue, every single person in the area was found to have high levels of pesticides in their bodies.

Exactly. Here's a recent BKK Post article on the very subject...

http://m.bangkokpost.com/lifestyle/959397

[cyberfarang]

A long, long, time ago when I first came to Thailand on holiday, I was amazed by all the abundance of different coloured butterflies I saw. Purple, reds, blues, greens, yellows and every colour under the rainbow. But today I hardly see any. The odd one or two and that`s it. So what has happened to Thailand`s wonderful populations of butterflies?

[chowny77]

Chowny77, I like your faith in humanity - Do you really think the farmers will stop selling produce that have been drenched in pesticides?

The local government office in our Tam Boen checked all the residents blood for pesticide residue, every single person in the area was found to have high levels of pesticides in their bodies.

Most likely they were drinking the stuff because someone told them it was stronger than Lawkhao...........only joking