Dragonfli's Three-Step Strategy To Combat The Entire Box Tree Moth Life Cycle          

Box Tree Moths overwinter as caterpillars that hide deep inside the Box Plant foliage. As temperatures warm, the caterpillars will pupate and transform into moths. The female moths will proceed to mate and begin laying eggs in little clusters on Box tree plants. These eggs will then hatch into the damaging caterpillars that devastate and kill Box plants and hedges.

Dragonfli are on hand to help, however, and can now provide natural solutions against all three stages of the Box Tree Moth life cycle!

Box Tree Caterpillars feed on Box plants and hedges and are capable of killing Buxus entirely if left untreated.

Stage 1: Catch Adult Box Tree Moths With Pheromone Traps To Reduce Egg Laying

The first step to take in combating Box Tree Moths is to set up your Box Tree Moth Pheromone Traps. These traps will catch male Box Tree Moths and prevent them from mating with females. The traps will also provide you with a valuable early warning of Box Tree Moth activity.

Our Box Tree Moth Pheromone Traps are the first key component in the three pronged attack against Box Tree Moth infestations.

Box Tree Moths have 2-3 generations a year, so it is good practice to keep your Box Tree Pheromone Traps active all spring and summer. Each pheromone lure lasts about six weeks, after which it should then be replaced. You can find replacement lures by clicking here.

Pheromone traps used solely will not catch enough Box Tree Moths to prevent entire infestations, so please be sure to also follow the next steps.

Box Tree Moths are identifiable with white coloured wings bordered by brown. They have a wingspan of roughly 4cm.

Stage 2: Use Trichogramma Parasitic Wasps To Kill Box Tree Moth Eggs

Once Box Tree Moths are observed, it won’t be long before egg laying takes place. These eggs can now be controlled, however, by tiny parasitic wasps contained in small sachets that are placed within Box tree plant foliage. The Trichogramma evanescens parasitic wasps that emerge from our Box Tree Moth Egg Killer Sachets will search the Box tree plants for Box Tree Moth eggs. Once located, the Box Tree Moth eggs are parasitised and killed. The eggs then, instead of producing Box Tree Caterpillars, release new Trichogramma wasps to locate and kill more Box Tree Moth eggs!

Our Box Tree Moth Egg Killer Sachets can be harnessed to kill Box Tree Moth eggs lain by the female Box Tree Moths that were able to mate.

The sachets will continue to release the Trichogramma wasps for up to 4 weeks. We suggest placing one sachet every 5 linear metres of Box hedging, or 1 sachet every 10 square metres. If you have large individual Box tree plants, one sachet can be applied to each plant.

Box Tree Moth eggs are often hidden, and quite difficult to spot with the human eye but don't worry our Trichogramma wasps will be able to find and kill them for you!

Stage 3: Apply Nematodes Directly Onto Box Tree Caterpillars

If Box Tree Caterpillars are observed on Box plants, apply our Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes directly onto the caterpillars. Only apply the nematodes if caterpillars are present. More than one application may be required, which is why two sachets of nematodes are included in Box Tree Caterpillar Killer. Apply the first sachet when Box Tree Caterpillars are identified, and apply the second sachet about a week later.

Simply spray our Box Tree Caterpillar Killer directly onto the caterpillars and the nematodes will enter the pest via a natural opening, before killing the caterpillars from inside.

Make sure unopened nematode sachets are stored in a fridge to keep them fresh, and avoid applying nematodes on bright, sunny days, as nematodes are U.V sensitive. The optimum conditions for applying nematodes are warm, overcast, humid days. Alternatively, simply apply the nematodes early, or late on in the day.

Box Tree Caterpillars can grow up to 30mm in length and are a greenish-yellow colour. They can be concealed within webbing spun around buxus plants.

Enjoy Renewed Box Plant Growth 

These three natural solutions combine to provide a complete biological control of Box Tree Moths and protect your valuable Box Hedges and plants from this devastating pest.

If looking to provide your Box plants with a further aid to recovery, consider also applying our Soil Boost biostimulant granules. 

Soil Boost acts as an organic slow release fertiliser, helping the Box plants achieve newly invigorated growth after stress and damage.

If you ever need any further advice on how to combat Box Tree Moths feel free to get in touch via email at sales@dragonfli.co.uk, via social media, or by giving us a call on 01376 563322, and we’d be happy to assist.