Note: This product is dangerous to use around bees. DO NOT apply around areas where bees are actively foraging. TOPBUXUS Xentari is the best biological insecticide for the job. After using this on my box hedge in the past, the caterpillars stopped eating the treated leaves within several hours, and the damage rapidly reduced as the caterpillars began to die off (within a couple of days). Another action to take is to use a pheromone trap. Have these up around your boxwood to attract any male moths away from your plants. Installing traps won’t be the only step you need to take, but they’ll give you a heads-up to get your gloves on or an insecticide at the ready. The JSESSIONID cookie is used by New Relic to store a session identifier so that New Relic can monitor session counts for an application.

Dissolve 3 grams of Xentari granules for every 30 litres of water. This will cover around 30 m² of boxwood surface. If you have a bigger hedge, simply mix up some more! Pea thrips ( Kakothrips pisivorus) Found on garden peas during June to August; causes stunted growth with a silvery brown discolouration on the foliage and pods; the latter may remain flat with just a few peas developing at the stalk end.Wait a couple of days for the insecticide to work its magic. During this time, the box caterpillars will eat the protein crystals Xentari contains. These crystals damage the caterpillar’s gut cells, eventually causing blood poisoning and death within 1 – 3 days. Spray the whole plant, including the undersides and tops of the leaves, as well as any plants directly beside your affected boxwood. However, DO NOT spray any flowering plants, as a chemical insecticide doesn’t only kill caterpillars – it will kill pollinators like bees, too.

Encourage natural enemies in gardens, for example the predatory bug Orius laevigatus can occur naturallyYes, box hedges can recover from damage caused by box caterpillar infestations, but the extent of recovery depends on the severity of the damage, the plant’s health, and the care you give it after it has been infested. What time of year do box caterpillars come out?

Pheromone traps can help to control the presence of moths and reduce the likelihood of them laying eggs on your boxwood. However, they won’t solve the problem once you have caterpillars. Therefore, this method is only helpful right in the early stages. Removing Box Caterpillars By Hand Spray once more at the end of winter. This will catch your box tree moths early, preventing them from damaging your boxwood the following year. Tolerate some thrips damage, despite extensive silvery mottling established outdoor shrubs will usually survive the presence of glasshouse thrips Where to use: For the control of insect pests such as aphids and caterpillars on roses and a range of garden vegetables, Py Bug Killer Concentrate will also control beetles on specified vegetables. Do not apply when bees are actively foraging (use early in the morning or late in the evening). But how do you know it’s a box caterpillar infestation? To recognise this, you need to know the signs. What Are the Signs of a Box Caterpillar Infestation?The box caterpillar is a pest primarily targeting boxwood (Buxus) plants. We commonly use box plants for ornamental hedges and topiaries, so really, a pest infestation is the very last thing we want!