Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
#BoxTreeCaterpillar now rife in Harringay
Hi Everyone,
I've noticed that local garden centres are restocking box plants & if you are tempted to replace any box plants you've lost please read the following information:
Sadly, this relatively new pest to the UK, is now rife in Harringay.
If your box plants have webbing amongst the leaves have a closer look & you may find it.
I see it very frequently in the area & it does eventually defoliate & destroy box plants unless treated:
This video shows how.
The options I would recommend are:
1. Spraying with a biological control:
https://topbuxus.com/en/boxwood-caterpillar/25-topbuxus-xentari-sto...
This would need regular commitment to be effective during the times when the moth is active & would therefore involve some longterm costs.
The commitment would involve regularly inspecting the hedge for signs of eggs & the caterpillars. The cost would be the price of the nematodes & spraying.
2.Removal of the hedge & replacement with an alternative hedge which is not eaten by these caterpillars
Further information available on RHS website.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Debra on
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Perhaps a ray of hope:
All five of my well-established box plants were decimated earlier this year, barely a leaf left on them, despite spraying (albeit a bit late in the day). I was devastated - not least at the thought of having to dig them up. But then someone told me that they would survive if the root system was strong enough so I left them in.
Lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago I noticed new signs of life on all the plants. Hooray!
Sounds like I'm going to have to keep a close eye on them though if there's a new infestation....
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Permalink Reply by Sally on
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That’s great!
I managed to save mine before they got too bad - but it is a bit time consuming checking for caterpillars during the season - with practice I’m getting better at it now though!
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After treatment with Bt didn't notice any web/caterpillar mesh. But we had such a dry season that the leaves would have retained their cover of bacillus thurigensis and would like nly need to reapply if washed off?
https://fr.jardins-animes.com/insecticide-biologique-bacillus-thuri...
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I would reapply if it was washed off by rain before the caterpillars had chance to eat it &
then it’s advised to spray again one week later - to catch any hatchlings, as the eggs
are unaffected by this biological control.
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If you go to the link higher up refering to the bio control you note they say 'no matter how bad your plant is looking....
Also interesting to note that this link refers to a product available from Germany. Buying it online may no longer be possible after end of March next year (the big B!) as I could n't find UK suplliers for domestic use.
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There’s plenty of XenTari on eBay at the moment.
It’s also half the price it was earlier in the season - maybe because at the end of next month spraying won’t be
necessary ... until March next year.
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Just a heads up that the Box Tree Caterpillar is now active again in Harringay.
I've begun to see lots of new caterpillars which will have hatched out from overwintered eggs, so now's the time to commence spraying, if you what to save your plants
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