Set Up Your Box Tree Moth Pheromone Traps Before The Next Generation Of Moths Emerge 

There are signs that Box Tree Moths are about to produce another generation of Box plant damaging caterpillars before the winter, so now, in the early autumn, is a good time to renew pheromone lures in your Box Tree Moth Traps. This will help reduce the number of male moths and prevent them from mating with the females, which in turn will reduce the number of eggs produced.

Placing our Box Tree Pheromone Traps near your Box plants will catch male Box Moths and prevent mating with females. This reduces egg laying and limits future caterpillar infestations.

Supplement Your Box Tree Moth Traps With Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes

The Box Tree Moth Pheromone Trap is not a solution on its own, however. It is part of a series of measures required to protect plants from Box Tree Moth attack. During 2019 Dragonfli have been busy testing various natural enemies and products to help Box Tree plants withstand attacks from Box Tree Caterpillars. These methods include applying Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes directly onto the caterpillars once they appear on the Box plants. This can be difficult if the caterpillars are located deep within the foliage of the Box, so some extra effort is required at application to ensure this. The nematodes need to come into direct contact with the Box Tree Caterpillars to be most effective. Moisture levels are also important, so applying in warm, damp weather is ideal, avoiding application on bright, sunny days.

Ensure to spray your Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes directly onto the Box Tree Caterpillars situated on your Box plants.

Trichogramma Parasitic Wasps May Offer Another Effective Control Over Box Tree Caterpillars

Another biological weapon that is being tested against Box Tree Moth Caterpillars are the microscopic wasps, Trichogramma evanescens. These tiny wasps are moth egg parasites and are currently supplied by Dragonfli as an effective control over Clothes Moth infestations. It is hoped that the combination of these wasps killing the egg stage of the Box Tree Moth life cycle and the nematodes killing the caterpillar stage, may provide a basis for a successful natural, biological control programme against this new non-native insect pest.

Trichogramma evanescens parasitic wasps seen here parasitising Clothes Moth eggs. These wasps could also be used to parasitise Box Tree Moth eggs.

Use Biostimulants To Recover Damaged Box Plants

There are also products available from Dragonfli that can help Box Plants and Box Hedging recover from Box Tree Moth attack. Dragonfli offer a Biostimulant Boost range which consists of products containing natural stimulants to encourage growth in the plants by means of creating a healthy root zone, enabling plants to draw on the water and nutrients they require. One of these products is called Soil Boost, which contains plant based ingredients that act as a natural slow release fertiliser. This helps the plants put on new growth, strengthening them and making them more resilient to pest and disease attack including Box Blight.

Dragonfli's Soil Boost will help your Box plant put on new growth, strengthening them to fend off future pest and disease attack.