Box moth

Just come across my first box moth caterpillars of the season, seems early to me but they are out in force ATM.

 

I saw one last summer, that was it for the past few years. Not that I want to see hundreds at a time or anything.. but they are pretty.

 

To me they look like small cabbage white caterpillars, just checked some of my box and its all totally covered in them and the leaves completely stuck together.

Its too windy to spray.

 

Ooh no @pete!!
I've never had an infestation, and to be honest I don't even know if my one is box or something similar. It only stays because I can make balls out of it.

 

You have my sympathy @pete. I know exactly how it feels.

 

I'm in two minds to just let it all go and cut it down to the ground.

 

It will still sprout from the ends if you leave it though, or do you get them every year?

 

I have given up on box...not worth the effort and expense involved in trying to keep them going. Replaced most of them with euonymous and yew.

 

That’s a nice plant combination @Mrs. B. !

 

I think they will return.
Seems like you get three generations a season.

I just wonder what is happening on Box Hill.

 

It depends on how much of a battle you're willing to wage, but speaking personally, all the box hedging in the back garden was taken out, plus 2 big box balls from the front.

I thought we'd removed as many of the caterpillars as possible, but when l started cutting the plants up I found around 100 of them before I'd got anywhere near the end, and gave up counting.

I found that it opened up the back garden,made the beds bigger and gave planting opportunities so that was a silver lining.

My OH wanted to keep the box hedge in the front garden so I agreed. Although there is fresh green growth coming through, there are several dead sections as well. It's just a matter of time before the caterpillars reappear, I'm sure.

 

I'm wondering how they can be so destructive because most pests don't wipe out all their food in an area but these seem to be destroying everything as they move north. They have only been in our area a few years on mass but you won't find a box that hasn't either been decimated or is dead (yet the garden centres are still full of box for sale).

I don't keep box other than a few cutting I took from an old neighbours hedge, which isn't there anymore, but I must admit I think the pearlescent moths are beautiful.

 

I battled for 4-5 yrs and then had to admit defeat. I have left the skeletons in situ and am growing ivy up them.