Box Tree Caterpillar/moth

[HRPUFF]

Just wondering if there is any hope.

I've got a mature privet type hedge out the front which has been looking sicker by the day for a few months now.

I had put it down to a mix of some very hot days last summer followed by extreme frost over Christmas.

My neighbour told me yesterday that the hedge has got something called Box Tree Caterpillar.

Any idea the best way to try and cure this please.

Thanks for reading.

A photo would help. A ‘Privet-type’ hedge may not be Box, and identification would help in diagnosing.

I've no idead, but my neighbour and I both got this on our box hedges this summer and they are now 100% annaliated. they are causing widespread devestation to box in SE. So many eggs and caterpilars etc too

Google for how to attack them/deal with it, and do so quickly and vigoriously is my advice. Due to the eggs/caterpillars I would burn anything you cut off

For us, the only thing that worked was “Xentari”. We sprayed this at set interval, 3 or 4 times. And followed up with box feed and regular watering. A bit labour intensive but all of mine are surviving after 3 years of this.

Yy you can buy from Amazon

Here is a photo.

Amazon stuff xentari or zentari - spray it on and when the caterpillars eat it they die. Spray every couple of weeks - because once yours are dead all the ones from the rest of the neighbourhood move into your hedge so you need to re spray.

It does work, but doesn’t fix the eaten bits hence feed/water and careful trimming to try to get your hedge to fill in the holes.

South wales here and looking round loads of destroyed hedges (not just ours) but I think we might be the only ones local trying to treat hence limited success as they keep coming back.

My neighbours hedge is looking pretty sick too. I've never seen this before. I honestly thought it was weather related.

In a couple more weeks it will look like this - so either treat vigoriously or dig out & destroy/burn now.

I thought mine wasn't too bad - I should have destroyed earlier to prevent it spreading.

This has happened to ours too....and working it's way up the street

Is it dead? Gone forever? Do I cut it down?

I have ordered some Xentari from Amazon. It will be here in a few days.

Will let you know how I get on.

I thought my 2 box hedges were totally banjaxed but they have come back 😮

This will likely happen every year. I work in landscaping and we have stopped using box and now use yew instead as it doesn't get the moths but is similarly hardy etc.

If you want to save it you need to spray every year during the summer months. Every year. It's been quite a money spinner for our maintenance teams I must say.

No luck with mine, sadly. Despite treating, trimming and pruning since last summer, they were done for and a couple of weeks ago totally infested again.
It uoset me greatly but we had to remove and burn them last weekend 😞 Cue another boundary dispute with the neighbour but she caught me at a bad moment as I loved that hedge.
Have replaced with photinia which seems to grow healthy and strong in this area but I shall miss my box hedge.

It’s been extensive on our estate. Many hedges were box as standard. The estate is about 25 years old. No problems for around 20 then slowly but surely people are having to remove the hedge. We’ve also had an issue affecting vibernum which was the other half of the hedges.

I have removed both hedges the vibernum replaced with Salix and the box with a mixed planting bed with roses and other shrubs. They are both looking good.

the only box hedge still alive belongs to a guy who works high up in the government so we assume he is a spy with access to alien inventions and has access to things other people don’t. On a serious note I do think he’s had to treat it regularly which is annoying and expensive.

Ours got the caterpillar, I was sad to see them go but removed them. For me I did not want to be constantly having to use chemicals which could have a wider effect on the environment. Also the time and cost and constant monitoring. The caterpillars and blight aren’t going anywhere so once you have it it’s a losing battle and one I didn’t want to constantly fight with chemicals.

Mines's gone too. Guess we'll have to dig it out and burn it soon.

If people around you have them too there isn’t much point IMO as even if you get rid they’ll just come back. This has happened to our neighbours, treated their hedge successfully but now having to get rid after a second infestation. I’ve seen them all over our area (luckily we have no box).

Our box hedge was only around five years old and was ruined by the time I realised it was moths. Most the box hedges in the village are dead or dying and I wasn't willing to get into an annual battle over them, the moths did so much damage so quickly. I dug mine out and replaced with photina

Yew or Ilex hedges are the way to go, box caterpillars are rife now and I don’t like the thought of using insecticide.

There is another active thread with the same
problem that has been posted in the last few days. There are suggestions on what to use. The title looks a bit iffy but it’s about box hedge !
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/gardening/5058635-help-me-save-my-bush?reply=134691206