The plant pest "box tree moth" (Cydalima perspectalis) is the enemy of every hobby gardener and plant lover. If he has settled on a box tree, he often causes the box trees to die off. Chemical control is not recommended and should only be considered as a last resort. Fighting with injections and natural home remedies is just as effective. The most effective home remedies for combating box tree moths can be found in the guide with preparation instructions.

box tree moth

No chemical sprays for the love of nature

Their effectiveness is usually strong, but chemical sprays inevitably have a negative impact on the environment and nature. They do not only affect box tree moths, but also pose a life-threatening danger to useful insects. For example, small clusters of flowers form. These accumulate on the leaf axils. The small flowers with their nectar attract insects such as bees and butterflies. If a chemical spray is used, the insects in the immediate vicinity can suffer an agonizing death. It is therefore advisable to take natural action against box tree moths and use home remedies that are harmless to insects.

identifying features

In order to choose the right home remedy for combating Cydalima perspectalis, the pest must first be clearly identified.

Box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis

Features:

  • Caterpillars have a green body with black dots - length about five centimeters - lifespan up to five days
  • Butterflies reach a wingspan of around five centimeters - mostly silky white on the inside - dark border on the outside
  • active as pests: from around March throughout the entire garden season
  • don't like extreme heat
  • prefer dry air conditions
  • feed mainly on leaf sap - less often on stalks
  • multiply rapidly
  • are at the beginning usually inside the dense leaf dress on the underside of the leaves
  • form cobweb-like webs with dark droppings on branches and between leaves
  • as a cocoon they survive icy temperatures in winter in the webs
Box tree moth info graphic

Damage to the box tree

  • first smaller signs of scuffing mostly on the lower branches
  • further signs of eating follow on the inner leaves
  • only when everything has been bare there do the caterpillars move towards the outer leaves
  • light spots on the upper side of the leaves (scraping by younger caterpillars)
  • older caterpillars eat leaves down to the leaf veins and/or the stalk
  • light beige color change of the boxwood is increasingly recognizable
  • in the advanced stage, the green bark is eaten by shoots
  • whole shoots slowly die off
  • without control, the box tree dies
Box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis

combat

Combat box tree moths naturally

Since the pest and the first signs of eating usually remain undetected due to the dense leaf cover, it can multiply drastically in a few weeks undisturbed. The most natural way of fighting is to collect the caterpillars. This is time consuming, tedious and less successful considering the amount of sticks. A spray is more effective. This can be easily made from a home remedy - and sometimes even just water is enough to fight.

high pressure cleaner

As an alternative to laboriously collecting the caterpillars, a hard jet of water from a high-pressure device can be effective against box moths. This "home remedy" for combating the pests is only recommended if the damage has not progressed too far. If feeding damage can already be seen on the shoot stalks, in most cases the boxwood is already too weak to avoid further damage from the hard water jet. Optimal results can be achieved with this simple home remedy when the infestation is mild to moderate. The best way to combat borers is as follows.

  • Lay out plastic sheeting or foil on the ground under the boxwood
  • work evenly with the high-pressure cleaner from top to bottom
  • Rinse each leaf, especially the underside
  • a horizontal jet of water prevents fallen caterpillars from being washed off the foil
  • then dispose of the caterpillars on the foil in the household waste (never on the compost)
  • Repeat the process after three and six days if eggs are left and new caterpillars have hatched
Box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis

Neem as a spray

With a self-made neem solution, the pests can be combated naturally. It can be prepared into an effective spray without much effort. Neem settles on the body of the borer and clogs the respiratory organs. The result is suffocation. Although this is not a classic home remedy that everyone has at home, it works particularly well and is particularly suitable as a spray for box trees that are infested over a large area. The solution can be prepared as a spray in two different ways.

  • Neem oil works quickly and is available on the Internet, in local gardening shops or in pharmacies
  • Mix well one drop of neem oil per 100 milliliters of water
  • Pour mixture into a spray bottle
  • Spray infested box trees until dripping wet
  • Don't forget the underside of the leaves
  • Repeat application after one week if necessary
  • works equally with small to extensive infestations
  • Neem leaves work slower than a neem oil spray
  • Boil about 100 grams of neem leaves with one liter of water
  • simmer for about five minutes
  • then let it steep for about 20 minutes
  • Sift out neem leaves
  • Pour the juice into a spray bottle
  • Spray the boxwood until dripping wet
  • repeat at least four times within two weeks
  • The effect can be intensified if a dark plastic film is placed airtight around the boxwood

TIP: Do not use neem oil or neem broth in high heat or in the sun. This could adversely affect the effect.

Box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis as moth

vinegar and oil

One of the most effective home remedies for fighting box tree moths is a spray mixture of oil, vinegar, and water. While the acetic acid makes the boxwood leaves inedible for borers, the oil settles in the respiratory organs and sticks together the epidermis of the pests. In this way, the leaf damage can be stopped quickly. They die within a few hours. The home remedy is quickly prepared and the fight done quickly if you proceed as follows.

  • Place foil or paper under the infested boxwood
  • Mix four tablespoons of wine vinegar and three tablespoons of rapeseed oil with 500 milliliters of water
  • Pour mixture into a spray bottle
  • select a fine spray jet
  • Spray the boxwood dripping wet from all directions
  • due to the vinegar, the first caterpillars drop within a few minutes
  • they should be quickly collected from the film/paper and disposed of with household waste
  • Repeat the process every third day until there are no more caterpillars on the foil/paper

cigarette butt

Of course, box tree moths can be fought with cigarette butts. Anyone who is a non-smoker may know a smoker in their circle of acquaintances who makes their cigarette butts available.

The household remedy is tried and tested and is used in many areas of pest control. The nicotine from the cigarette butts stinks enormously and has a poisoning effect on box tree moths. It should always be used with the ulterior motive that nicotine is also toxic to beneficial insects such as bees. If cigarette butts are used as a spray, this should only be done at certain times of the day when most beneficial insects have withdrawn. No damage is to be expected from the fight against nicotine in boxwood.

Preparation and application:

  • Place cigarette butts in a container
  • douse with water
  • let soak for at least 4 hours
  • the water should have taken on a strong dark yellow hue
  • the smell must be intensely perceptible from a distance of 50 centimetres
  • Sift cigarette butts out of the broth
  • Pour the broth into a spray bottle and spray the plant generously
  • if necessary, the process can be repeated on the following days
  • Preparation: Paper or foil laid under the box tree makes it easier to collect dead caterpillars
  • optimal spraying time: just before sunset
Cigarette Leftovers

TIP: The nicotine broth can cause a greasy film to settle on the leaves and clog the pores. A hosing down with clear water should be done after each application at an interval of between 30 and 60 minutes.

baking powder

Baking soda is a suitable home remedy for combating box tree moths naturally. It is strongly advised to observe the conditions of use, otherwise no effect will be achieved. A solution with baking powder for spraying boxwood is quickly prepared.

  • Dissolve two bags of household baking soda in one liter of water
  • mix well
  • Pour into a spray bottle and spray the Buxus until dripping wet
  • Time of application: when the sun's rays ensure a temperature of at least 28 degrees Celsius
  • further applications should not be made earlier than at three-day intervals
baking powder

post-treatment

Subsequent treatment with boxwood fertilizer

If a moderate to extensive box tree moth infestation has been combated naturally, fertilization with a special boxwood fertilizer is recommended, such as that offered by COMPO with lots of iron and important nutrients. Fertilization promotes regeneration, especially in the case of severe damage, and ensures rapid regrowth of a strong and dense leaf coat. If you want to fertilize naturally, you should work a generous amount of compost into the soil.

prevention

In order to avoid fighting again, box tree moths can of course be prevented in various ways.

algae lime

If algae lime is regularly fertilized in the soil around a Buxus, this reduces infestation by box tree moths and at the same time prevents fungal infestation. In addition, algae lime can be sprinkled over the leaves. In this way, the leaves become unappetizing for the pests. An infestation can also be contained in this way. It has not yet been proven whether the moths use box trees dusted with algae lime less often to lay their eggs, but experts suspect this.

Algae lime as an ecological fertilizer

coffee grounds

Applying and scattering coffee grounds is similar to algae lime against box tree moths. However, it also makes the nectar of the small flowers inedible for beneficial insects. For this reason, coffee grounds should be used alternately with algae lime.

Regular hosing down

If you spray your boxwoods thoroughly with a hard jet of water between May and the beginning of September, especially inside the foliage, you can remove the first eggs and caterpillars at an early stage. If algae lime and/or coffee grounds are spread on the ground close to the trunk, the box tree moth is prevented from climbing again.

Category:

Garden pests