HOW DO YOU GET RID OF BOX TREE CATERPILLAR? |The Garden of Eaden

Box Tree Caterpillar - Cydalima perspectalis

Once upon a time, and up until about ten to fifteen years ago, the common box - Buxus sempervirens, was an incredibly robust, disease-free, hardy shrub. Perfect for topiary and hedging, it was a popular go-to plant for most gardeners. However due to an influx of pest and pathogens caused by the globalization of the horticultural industry more and more of our ornamental plants are at risk from imported dangers.

The one pest causing arguably the most concern for gardeners is the Box Tree Caterpillar - Cydalima perspectalis. The caterpillar itself is typically 25–30 mm long, and green coloured with browning longitudinal lines, however it is difficult to spot unless you are specifically looking for it. What is more noticable is the characteristic webbing and foliage damage. So. assuming you have an infestation of this insidious pest, how do you get rid of Box Tree Caterpillar?

Well the good news is that they are two excellent options for you which will indeed allow you to get rid of the Box Tree Caterpillar.

Xen Tari

Xen tari biological control

The first is a product known as XenTari. This is a biological insecticide containing a natural, potent strain of the microorganism Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Aizawai. It is easy to use, all you need is a small pressure sprayer.

Simply dissolve the contents of 1 sachet in 3 Litres of water to treat 30 square meters of Boxwood surface. When a caterpillar eats the XenTari-treated leaves it will stop feeding within 1 hour, causing no more damage to your Box plants. The affected caterpillars will then die 1-2 days later.

You will only need three treatments per season to keep the caterpillar pest under control. The Box tree caterpillar goes through 3 cycles each season, simply apply XenTari once every cycle at the moment when the first caterpillars are spotted. This moment can be more easily predicted by using a Box tree moth trap to monitor Box tree moth activity, when moths are trapped you can expect new caterpillars a couple of weeks later.

Box Tree Moth Trap

Box Tree Moth Trap

Covering an area up to 200 square metres, the Box Tree Moth Trap contains a pheromone dispenser which first attracts the moth and then traps them inside the container. This is a very effective method of catching this pest and several may be required to cover a large garden.

In practice though it is not 100% efficient although its presence it extremely effective. For maximum effect it is advised to set out your Box tree moth traps around mid -April. Then once the moths become evident apply Xen tari biological control thereafter. By using these two methods of control you can effectively eliminate the presence of Box tree moths and their caterpillars in your area.

Main image credit - böhringer friedrich - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20484379

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