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The box tree moth is a real nuisance. We have summarized the most effective and best 8 home remedies for fighting the borer for you.

The box tree moth can already be effectively combated with a few home remedies

The box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) scares many hobby gardeners. The invasive pest can pose a life-threatening threat to young and weakened box trees (Buxus). There are a number of approved chemical sprays, however, for most gardeners, applying pesticides is an option only when absolutely necessary, if at all. Before considering any of these, be sure to check out our collection of 8 home remedies and our final tips.

The box tree moth can be collected, cut away, flushed with high pressure water, or killed by heat. The use of netting can prevent egg laying and encouraging birds in the garden keeps the overall population at a low level. However, we would like to advise against using algae lime to combat it. You can find out more about the various home remedies and their effectiveness below.

1. Collect box tree moth

A very simple and extremely inexpensive method is to collect the box tree moth caterpillars. However, this method is only effective when the infestation is low. Regular checking and early removal of the internal webbing can save you from the worst. You can find out here how you can recognize an infestation of the borer at an early stage. Since the caterpillars of the box tree moth are not poisonous, you can simply collect them by hand. If that makes you uncomfortable, you can put on simple gardening gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards. We have put together a special article for you on how to dispose of the moth caterpillars you have collected.

If parts of the box tree are already dying, collecting is no longer an option

Collecting box tree moths:

  • Helps with low to moderate infestations
  • Regular checks and early detection are very important
2. box tree moth throughCombat Cut

The predominantly nocturnal moths of the box tree moth lay their eggs in the outer areas of the box tree. If you use box tree moth traps to observe when moths fly and thus mating and oviposition take place, you can remove many eggs and young box tree moth caterpillars by pruning your bushes before they nest in webs in the center. This cut should be made no later than two weeks after observing the first moth. The moth moth can simply be disposed of alive in the residual waste or organic waste bin, because the early larval stages can no longer develop into moths capable of mating without their food plant.

By cutting after oviposition, many eggs and larvae can be removed

Conclusion Combat box tree moths by pruning:

  • Helps against freshly laid eggs and young larvae
  • Observation of moth flight with traps necessary
  • The cut must be made no later than 2 weeks after the flight of the moth
  • It is possible to dispose of the borer caterpillars alive

3. Rinse box tree moth with water

A proven home remedy for the box tree moth is to give it a hard, cold shower. A high-pressure cleaner can even be used for this, which transports the pests out of the box. The plant remains almost completely intact. You can lay a tarp under the buchs before using the high pressure jet. This then catches the box tree moth caterpillars and you can dispose of them more easily. This home remedy helps above all when a larger infestation is to be decimated first. Thoroughly work the interior of the shrub as well.

Hosing down the box trees with a hard jet of water has proven itself many times over

Conclusion Combat box tree moths with water:

  • Helps Reduce Heavy Infestations
  • Spray the inside and outside of the boxwood with a hard jet of water while it is infested
  • Possibly lay out a tarpaulin to catch the caterpillars that are washed out
4. Kill Boxwood Moths with Garbage Bags

To get rid of pesky caterpillars, you can put black garbage bags over your box trees. It is best to do this early in the morning. In the course of a sunny day, the caterpillars are literally grilled under the plastic bag and can therefore not cause any further damage. The box trees usually survive the heat treatment well. Nevertheless, this method can of course only temporallybe used to a limited extent because the Buchs relies on sunlight. Covering once a week is said to bring noticeable success.

High temperatures are poorly tolerated by the moth - you can use this

Conclusion fight box tree moths with garbage bags:

  • Helps with regular use, only applicable to a few plants to be treated
  • Once a week you can drag a black garbage bag over your boxwood from dawn to dusk; the resulting heat kills the caterpillars in the boxwood
  • Box trees usually survive the high temperatures without any problems

5. Fight box tree moths with nets

You can use fine-meshed crop protection nets to prevent the box tree moth moth from laying eggs on your box tree. These must completely envelop the shrub - and always do so when the moths fly. Predicting the flight of moths is difficult and if you have been able to identify a few moths using pheromone traps, a number of animals have probably already laid their eggs. For this reason, it would be safest to cover your box trees continuously from April to September - but of course the aesthetics suffer greatly as a result.

The nets must always be deployed when the moths fly

Conclusion Fight box tree moths with nets:

  • Can completely prevent infestation with careful, timely coverage
  • Not an option if you value being able to see your boxwood

Tip: If you are looking for a high-quality pheromone trap for early infestation detection, you can buy the Plantura borer trap in our shop.

6. Combat box tree moths with algae lime

Various publications state that algae lime is a potent remedy against box tree moth infestation and also fights box tree dieback - a fungal disease. However, we would strongly advise against dusting your box trees with algae lime: no scientifically designed experiment has so far been able to prove the effects described. Rather, many professionals warn of the negative effects of this application. A previously he althy shrub can usually withstand a one or two-year treatment with algae lime, but prolonged use can exceed the limits of its resilience. More information about the effects of dusting with algae lime can be found here. WhenPlant strengtheners, used in the right amount, are of course still an effective and good way to fertilize boxwood.

So far it has not been proven that algae lime helps against the box tree moth

Conclusion Fight box tree moth with algae lime:

  • It has not yet been proven that algae lime helps against infestation with box tree moths
  • Regular pollination can have various negative effects that weaken the boxwood

7. Combat box tree moths naturally

This tip is not really a home remedy, but its sustainability is unbeatable. There have already been various observations that our native birds are slowly taking a liking to the invasive caterpillars from the Far East. Some seem to tolerate the poison in the caterpillar's body and even feed it to their young. Tits, sparrows, redstarts and starlings are said to be among the potential helpers in the fight against the borer. So if you encourage the presence of beneficial insects, and especially birds, you'll get a lower infestation in return.

The redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) uses the borer as food

Conclusion Fight box tree moths naturally:

  • Promoting natural predators helps control caterpillars and moths
  • Especially tits, sparrows, redstarts, starlings and wasps are said to be among the enemies of the box tree moth

8. Combat box tree moths with baking soda

Because baking soda can be used as a home remedy against both aphids and fungal diseases, its effect on the box tree moth was also tested. Apart from briefly stopping the feeding activity, however, spraying with baking soda solution had no effect, which is why this home remedy is ruled out for us.

The box tree moths are unimpressed by fighting with baking powder

Conclusion Fight box tree moths with baking powder:

  • Baking soda is not an effective remedy against the box tree moth

Summary Fight box tree moths with home remedies

In the case of an infestation by the box tree moth, home remedies can be a gentle and good alternative to chemical sprays. Monitoring with moth traps and the reliable identification of the box tree moth as well as knowing the right time to fight are essential for successful controla basic requirement. However, each of the home remedies presented is only effective within narrow limits and sometimes has considerable limitations.

In many environmentally conscious and professionally managed gardens, the borer is successfully combated biologically with sprays: The active ingredient Xentari, which is also contained in our Plantura Zünslerfrei XenTari®, uses the bacteriumBacillus thuringiensis and is only poisonous to the box tree moth.

In case you are war weary and looking for alternatives to boxwood, here are 6 alternatives for you.

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