Free Tracked Postage For Orders Over £60 (Excluding Bumblebee Colonies & Product Subscriptions)
Free Tracked Postage For Orders Over £60 (Excluding Bumblebee Colonies & Product Subscriptions)
£24.99
Box Tree Caterpillars have rapidly become a serious pest of Box plants and Box hedges all across the UK. The Box Tree Caterpillars can develop in large numbers and in severe cases are capable of completely killing Box plants. The caterpillars willdefoliate the plants and damage the leaves, leaving them in a skeletal state. The caterpillars may evenbore into the bark of more mature Box plants if left untreated.
The Box Tree Moths will lay flat, pale yellow eggs that overlap each other in a flat sheet on the underside of the leaves on your Box plants. The larvae that hatch are of a greenish-yellow composition with black heads. As the larvae mature their green body develops dark brown stripes. Very mature larvae have thick black and thin white stripes down the body, with large black dots outlined in white. Look for clear webbing left on the plants which is created when the caterpillars achieve high numbers.
Box Tree Caterpillar Killer contains Steinernema carpocapsae nematodes for the effective biological control of Box Tree Caterpillars. The nematodes enter the caterpillars via a natural opening, like the mouth, and feed on the contents of the pest. A natural bacterium is produced by the nematodes inside the caterpillars which kills the pest. Infected caterpillars will be completely broken down by the nematodes. The nematodes also reproduce inside the caterpillar, releasing more nematodes into the surrounding area.
1. Firstly, use our Box Tree Caterpillar Moth Traps:
The first step in protecting your plants is to set up one of our Box Tree Caterpillar Moth Traps. This will assist you in catching, monitoring and killing male Box Tree Moths. Once these are observed, it is likely that the Box tree Caterpillars will follow a few weeks later. By pre-empting their activity, and reducing moth numbers, you will have a greater chance of limiting an infestation. Moth mating and egg laying will also be reduced as a result.
2. Next, apply our Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes:
Nematodes can be used as an effective form of biological control against the caterpillars. The most successful species of nematode for Box Tree Caterpillar control is the Steinernema carpocapsae, which is contained within our Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematode pack. Apply these nematodes as soon as small caterpillars are observed.
3. Finally, use our Soil Boost Granules to help your Box plants recover
Box plants can be aided in their recovery from Box Tree Moth attack with the application of our Soil Boost Granules. Soil Boost acts as an organic slow release fertiliser, helping the Box plants achieve newly invigorated growth after stress and damage.
Choose a humid or wet day to apply your Box Tree Caterpillar Killer Nematodes. Nematodes are UV-sensitive and will not survive long when exposed to bright, sunny conditions. Apply the nematodes early in the morning or early in the evening in order to utilise the optimum humidity levels.
There are several generations of Box tree Caterpillars in a season. They are active from April - October, so the nematodes should be applied during this period.
1. First open and empty the contents of your 25 million sachet of nematodes into a bucket or container of 2.5 litres of water and mix thoroughly.
2. Next, fill your sprayer (hand held sprayers should suffice, with filters removed - or use our Nema Super Sprayer for optimum nematode application) with the mixed 2.5 litres of nematode concentrate and add another 5.5 litres of water so you are left with 8 litres of nematode solution.
3. Finally, spray the Box plants, from top to bottom, ensuring the middle of the plant is also sprayed. Apply plenty of the spray solution to the foliage and where possible directly onto the caterpillars themselves.
It is recommended that a second application is applied 7 days after your first application. This is to ensure the nematodes can get to the caterpillars not hit during the first application, and indeed any new small caterpillars that have since hatched from fresh egg laying.
Full instructions are applied on delivery.
Box Tree Moth Caterpillar contains two sachets of 25 million nematodes, each 25 million pack will treat up to 35m2.
At least 250-500ml of nematode solution should be applied per square metre.
You can store unopened nematode packs in a fridge but it is best to ensure you apply your nematodes as soon as possible for the best results.
Box Tree Killer nematodes are harmless to humans, pets and wildlife, and safe to apply to edible plants.
The bush pictured is still suffering from the effects of munching caterpillars, but the third application of Dragonfli Nematodes has resulted in many brown disintegrating caterpillar bodies. A fourth application has just gone on to finish the job.
I applied the box nematodes according to instructions using the sprayer and the nem assist solution on a rainy day. Just days later I was finding dead and dying caterpillars. I have applied the second dose a week later and there is no sign of caterpillars now. I’m waiting to see if the moth trap catches any moths in case the cycle continues and will apply another pack of nematodes in a month or six weeks to be diligent, but so far I am hugely impressed by this product and hugely relieved! My box will also get a good feed to help it with its struggle against destruction! I think it is always worth giving a plant a chance rather than just removing it if I can. Our box has had blight in the past and now shows resistance to that. I don’t think I can ever make it resistant to box moth but I will do all I can to help it and the nematodes are a great way to do that without hurting the frogs, toads, bugs and birds that do their part in the process.
I was thrilled with the instant response to the recent nematodes I sprayed onto my box.
I'm not sure if it covered 35 sq meters using the nematode sprayer. It seemed to all have left the sprayer very quickly, but what it covered worked very well.
The sachets arrived promptly when I learnt exactly what I needed.
We have several box hedges in the garden - the largest which screens a house is 6 m long, 2 m side, 5 m tall . Yesterday we sprayed it with nematodes for the first time . I am awaiting a reply from dragonfli re my calculations and hope they will get back to me today so I can reorder for the next application next Wednesday . It was very hard contacting them in person - emails and calls . Someone finally called me yesterday .
The process is easy. Their sprayer brilliant . Ordering quantities confusing ( I initially ordered 4lots which cost £24.99 each when I should have ordered 2 with 2 applications which cost £35.99 each - a saving I doubt they will remunerate me for ) and time will tell if it actually works! But I am determined to try and will report back !
Hi Sally,
Many thanks for your feedback and for ordering with us.
This is going to be a fascinating test of our nematodes - what a terrific looking Buxus that is, thank you for sharing!
We're confident the nematodes will be effective for you and I hope that our customer service team have since supplied you with the requisite information to help you make a success of the initial application. We do apologise for any delays in communication; things have been exceptionally busy around here of late but we're getting back on top of things now.
Please do let us know how your application goes and if there is anything else we can assist you with in the meantime please just let us know and we'd be more than happy to help.
Kind regards,
Julian Ives [Director, Dragonfli]
We hadn’t tried box caterpillar nematodes before, but mixed results so far. 3 bushes have been devastated despite 3 applications, and 4 bushes nearby saved from attack, so the jury is out still, but we will continue as it looks like we have had some success.
