Watch the video: Box tree moth – How to save your box trees – without chemicals.
It has been driving boxwood lovers to despair since the 2000s: the boxwood moth. The voracious caterpillars eat entire trees and hedges bare. Entire parks are increasingly turning brown instead of green. This bright green caterpillar is responsible for the defoliation. It was introduced from East Asia and has no enemies in this country. Vigilance helps so that you don’t have to reach for the chemical club right away and endanger bees and thus other insects or you don’t have to dispose of the entire boxwood stock. Anyone who recognizes the infestation early can collect the caterpillars and the typical webs. It helps to shake the trees so the caterpillars fall out. Severely affected branches should be cut off. You can also combat the box tree moth with a strong jet of water. In the case of severe infestation, the Federal Environment Agency recommends a spray based on the bacterium “Bacillus thuringiensis”. However, NABU advises against using baking powder as a household remedy.