how to keep the box tree moth away

The boxwood moth butterfly is a real calamity. Roland Motte, our gardener, gives you a natural trick to keep them away from your shrubs.

We love butterflies, they twirl in the garden, bring life and color. Except that before being butterflies, they are caterpillars, and box tree moth caterpillars are a disaster for our shrubs.

If you have boxwood on your balcony or in the garden, there are several ways to keep the moth away: birdhouses, ilex or other plants.

Boxwood is superb and can be found in parks and French gardens, formed into a ball or with many other diverse and varied shapes. It’s nice. The problem is the moth, the caterpillar of which delights almost exclusively in boxwood leaves. The reproduction of these small beasts takes place from April to October. So we have ways to fight against these invaders: birds. Our feathered friends love caterpillars, especially in the spring, when it’s time to feed the chicks. So install nesting boxes, feeders, water containers. Anything that can attract and keep birds in your garden.

There are also effective products that can be used in organic farming that you will find in garden centres.

Otherwise, another way not to have a moth is to plant not boxwood, but Ilex Crenata or Lonicera Nitida Scoop. The foliage resembles boxwood, but moths are not interested in these shrubs.

Find Roland Motte on France Bleu Lorraine and France Bleu Besançon and on his website www.rolandmotte.fr.