These pests can cause extreme damage to boxwood plants. In short, they strip them of their leaves, which weakens their overall health and destroys their well-kempt appearance. A lot of moths do fly before dusk so starting it before nightfall will catch these. Make sure you have a rain guard on there if it's likely to rain in the night, then empty the mothtrap at your leisure in the morning.

Smaller items will be delivered using Royal Mail 48. Larger items will be delivered by Fedex or ParcelForce. Although they're expensive to buy, a decent moth trap is an essential item if you're into Lepidoptera, as it will catch you moths on almost any night of the year. The first sign of a box caterpillar infestation is usually the presence of small, oval-shaped holes in the leaves of your box tree or hedge. These are caused by the caterpillars feeding on the leaves. To calm moths down to be able to take macro photographs, transfer them into specimen tubes and store them in the fridge for a few hours. Although some people object to this, this simply lowers their metabolic rate and doesn't harm them (in fact it prevents damage because they don't try to fly so the scales don't fall off). In 15 years, chilling moths has not caused me a single moth death. Alternatively, I'm also told that anaesthetic throat spray immobilizes moths for s short time after spraying - this maybe worth a shot but I have not personally tried it. Robinson Moth Trap

The moth was first reported in Scotland (from Fife) in 2018, it having also been reported from several areas in Wales. There have been increasing reports of the adult moth from coastal localities along southern and south-eastern England, these likely to be primary immigrants from the continent. Extensive populationscan be treated with an insecticide. Thorough spray coverage is required if control is to be achieved

It was recorded in Ontario, Canada in August 2018 [12] and in the eastern United States in May 2021. [13] Description [ edit ] For example, the Box Plant Health “Cleanse & Shine” treatment deters caterpillars from eating the leaves of plants sprayed with the oil mix.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! Forceful spraying is needed to penetrate into the interior of box plants through the webbed-together leaves Do give your mothtrap lines of sight into various habitats for the maximum diversity of moths. More habitat types, more moth types. Placement at the boundary between various habitat types is optimal. Moths fly at a variety of heights with smaller moths flying lower, so for the maximum effectiveness make your trap be seen at low level a few hundred metres away. Parts Needed For a DIY Robinson Moth Trap The Box Tree Moths has a mainly white body, a brown head and white wings – with a wingspan of about 40mm. During this period, the caterpillar undergoes a complete metamorphosis, emerging as an adult moth. The box caterpillar moth is active at night.

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 caterpillars have a range of natural enemies, including parasitoid flies, parasitoid wasps, social wasps, spiders and ants Insecticide, Bacillus and nematode treatments must be repeated three times at an interval of about ten days, because they mostly affect young larvae.Box caterpillar insecticides are available online but follow the instructions closely to avoid damaging neighbour plants and wildlife. How to deal with box blight