Gardeners warned to ‘act quickly’ over ‘serious threat’ destroying their beloved plants
There are a number of causes for this, including the box moth caterpillar, a pest that has been described as a “serious threat” by the BBC’s Gardeners’ World.
These caterpillars destroy plants by stripping them of their leaves, leaving only the webbing behind.
Because of this, it is worth checking for any signs of these horror pests when maintaining your garden this summer and autumn.
How to get rid of box moth caterpillars
Box moth caterpillars are known to destroy box hedges by eating the leaves (Image: Getty Images) According to Eradipest, the destruction caused by the box moth caterpillar can happen at an “alarming rate”.
The experts added that because of their “toxic taste,” the caterpillars are not as vulnerable to natural predators, so gardeners must act quickly and remove them when they are spotted.
Recommended Reading:
Those who catch them early enough can remove them by hand, but this is not always feasible if they are located deep in the hedge.
Where removing them by hand is not doable, gardeners can try using a box moth trap, which works by attracting the male moth with female pheromones.
The moths are then trapped, preventing them from undertaking further lifecycles. However, this may not be suitable if you have a large infestation.
Comments are closed.