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Box Tree Caterpillars have rapidly become a serious pest of Box plants and Box hedges all across the UK. The Box Tree Caterpillars can develop in large numbers and in severe cases are capable of completely killing Box plants. The caterpillars will defoliate the plants and damage the leaves, leaving them in a skeletal state. The caterpillars may even bore into the bark of more mature Box plants if left untreated.
The Box Tree Moths will lay flat, pale yellow eggs that overlap each other in a flat sheet on the underside of the leaves on your Box plants. The larvae that hatch are of a greenish-yellow composition with black heads. As the larvae mature their green body develops dark brown stripes. Very mature larvae have thick black and thin white stripes down the body, with large black dots outlined in white. Look for clear webbing left on the plants which is created when the caterpillars achieve high numbers.
Trichogramma are very small parasitic wasps, hard to spot with the naked eye, but identifiable when they are situated on the outside of the packaging. They will seek out Box Tree Moth eggs and lay their own eggs inside them, parasitising and killing the eggs,before releasing more trichogramma into the surrounding area. They are harmless to humans and animals and remain only for as long as there are Box Tree Moth eggs present.
Our new Box Tree Moth Egg Killer Sachets have been designed for improved and longer lasting control of Box Tree Moth eggs. Box Tree Moth Egg Killer is supplied in a sachet containing the eggs of the tiny parasitic wasp: Trichogramma evanescens. Theses eggs hatch from the sachet over a period of 2-4 weeks releasing a continual supply of adult parasitic wasps into the surrounding area. The sachet has been developed with a focus on timed emergence with at least 2000 wasps emerging over the life of the sachet.
The longer lasting hatch rate increases the ability of the parasitic wasps to locate more Box Tree Moth eggs, and at that the correct time for when they can be successfully parasitised and killed.
Simply place the Moth Egg Killer Sachet within the foliage of the buxus hedges you wish to treat for infestation. The sachets will gradually release the tiny trichogramma evanescens parasitic wasps over a period of four weeks. The trichogramma wasps will seek out Box Tree Moth eggs to parasitise, laying their own eggs inside them, killing the moth eggs and preventing any future Box Tree Caterpillars from emerging.
There are 2-3 generations of Box Tree Moths in a season and they are active from April to October. The first eggs can appear from May to June, so Box Tree Moth Egg Killer Sachets should be in place to contain this generation and the second generation in July and August. Emergence of Box Tree Moth generations can be influenced by the weather.
Trichogramma wasps require temperatures between 15-35℃ to be active. Please be aware that night time temperatures may drop below this in the autumn months and the wasps will not be able to withstand this consistent exposure to cooler conditions.
The Trichogramma are supplied in a paper sachet. Place the sachet within the infested buxus plant you wish to treat for infestation. Please be careful not to block the emergence hole. The wasps will emerge from inside the sachet and seek out the Box Tree Moth eggs.
As the small adult wasps tend to fly upwards, place the sachet within the hedge.
Please do not open the sachets since the sachets are supplied with an emergence hole. Please also do not place objects on top of the sachets as you may damage the eggs and adults inside.
Please also ensure no chemical treatments have been used at 2 weeks prior to the introduction of Trichogramma.
From each sachet 2000 parasitic wasps will emerge over a period of four weeks. The sachet is recommended to cover an area of 10m2 or 5 linear metres. There are normally 2-3 generations of Box Tree Moths a year, the first in May-June, the second in July-August and sometimes a third in September-October. It is advised to have Box Tree Moth Killer sachets in your Box Tree plants or hedges for at least the first two generations, as these are the most destructive. Please note that if you have Box Tree caterpillars present, you should apply Box Tree caterpillar nematodes directly to them, the parasitic wasps will not kill the caterpillar stage of the life cycle.
As the wasps will hatch at ambient temperatures it is recommended that you do not store these sachets. It is best to use them as soon as they arrive and order repeat sachets fresh when needed. contact us if you are interested in receiving a scheduled programme of Box Tree Moth Egg Killer Sachets to ensure continual protection from Box Tree Moths.
