Caterpillars killed my bush. What now?

[TimmyMallett]

I used Bug Clear Ultra 2 this year and it definitely works. I don't like using any pesticide but after last year they mullered about a metre of brand new bare root and I'm not letting that happen again. You do have to be very thorough, and I only use it on affected sections where you can see them, but you have to inspect them one by one this way.

[sleepezy]

Our little friends are back, first spotted this weekend so gave them a blast. (South Cambs)

[Dr Mike Oxgreen]

Yep, it’s definitely time I sprayed mine with XenTari as a preventative.

In the last couple of years I’ve noticed that the sparrows have acquired a taste for the caterpillars, and when there’s the start of an infestation they’ll constantly fly down to the box, hop into the branches and emerge with something green and wriggly in their beaks. It’s a useful early warning!

[yellowjack]

I've sprayed Xentari for the first time this year too. Mostly in response to seeing a neighbour's hedge opposite. His next door neighbour was spraying his hedge. Mad, as she doesn't have any Box plants in her garden, but he has given up on his hedges. The caterpillars have pretty much destroyed his hedges to the point where they are out of food, so they are on the march, literally, across her front garden, wall, front door, etc. When she found the wriggling green b'stards abseiling from her porch it was the last straw, so she ordered her own supply of Xentari and declared war on them.

Happy to report that my hedge is showing minimal signs of damage, and oodles of fresh growth, with only a handful of caterpillars, and tiny ones at that. Hopefully I've nipped the problem in the bud this year. Just gotta keep on top of it now, and spray again at the first signs of leaf damage.

[MDifficult]

As OP, time for another update... despite spraying, the second box bush started ailing badly (I guess I wasn't doing it either early enough, or often enough, or long enough) so I threw in the towel on that one too.. pulled it out and burned it. LIfe's too short to be spraying bushes.

Everything replaced with stuff that caterpillars don't like and life has returned to normal.

The very first reply in this thread was likely the right one for anyone who's not a super-keen gardener - just get rid.

[Shappers24]

Just pulled out all my boxes from the front garden, including what used to be an attractive corkscrew. Very sad but I left it too late to salvage and the thing was deader than a dead thing. Looking round my neighbours they’ve all been equally hit. Time to find a replacement that won’t get munched.

[motco]

I looked closely at mine and can't see any web nor any caterpillars these year yet. They need trimming so maybe I'll do that and then a prophylactic dousing with pesticide.

[AC43]

I've got maybe 8 small boxes. Only takes 10 mins 3 times a year to spray them so not too bad.

Having said that, my wife's been buying an alternative to box over the last few years; similar-ish to look at but no moths.

I'll find out what it's called.

[sleepezy]

AC43 said:

Having said that, my wife's been buying an alternative to box over the last few years; similar-ish to look at but no moths.

I'll find out what it's called.

Euonymus or Ilex probably

[AC43]

sleepezy said:

AC43 said:

Having said that, my wife's been buying an alternative to box over the last few years; similar-ish to look at but no moths.

I'll find out what it's called.

Euonymus or Ilex probably

Pittosporum. Got 6 out front and a similar number dotted around the borders in the back garden. Plus 3 on the balcony. They're pretty bullet proof.

[RichB]

Ilex crenata

[sleepezy]

AC43 said:

They're pretty bullet proof.

Most things other than box seem to be

[AC43]

sleepezy said:

AC43 said:

They're pretty bullet proof.

Most things other than box seem to be

The box moth is spreading further and further.

https://bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/lifestyle/gardeni...