Some may have wondered what the fuss is all about when we published the article about the Box tree Moth...
Box trees and hedges are very slow growing and often take years of tending to get to be a good looking specimen plant or dense hedge, so if something were to completely infest and damage the bushes, it would ruin years of effort in growing it.
Unfortunately, the box tree moth larvae really like the taste of those tough little leaves, and when the moths lay eggs, they lay hundreds which means that a box tree moth infestation s both rapid and devastating. The caterpillars eat the leaves, of the box tree, leaving a dry brown skeleton. Usually damage is seen at the base of the bush.
There is a relatively environmentally friendly way to deal with the problem which is to get a box tree moth trap which uses the pheromone of the female box tree moth which attracts the males meaning they cannot breed in the first place. Insecticides only last until the next shower and with box tree being such a dense bush, it is difficult to make them effective. As a last resort remove the caterpillars by hand, or prune out stems covered in the webbing and caterpillars and destroy.
The box tree can recover from the infestation. Leaves begin to grow back after around 8 weeks.
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