Traps for boxwood moths are booming in affected regions. Here you can find out whether the pheromone traps are actually effective against the borer and what benefits they have.
Who one Box hedge (Buxus) calls his own, sooner or later he will Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) come across - whether in your own garden, in an advertisement in a hardware store or in horror stories from other box tree owners. Because the hungry pest is spreading - its area of spread is growing across Germany. Especially southern regions are affected. Before you succumb to the sometimes bold advertising in the hardware store and look forward to a carefree summer free of moth, you will find the necessary facts about boxwood moth traps here.
We will provide you with detailed information about how pheromone traps work and how effective they are for boxwood moths. We also show the great benefits of these traps, even if they cannot be used to control the moths.
contents
- How do boxwood moth traps work?
- Are Box Tree Moth Traps Effective?
- Moth trap to detect the cycles
- Conclusion: boxwood moth trap
How do boxwood moth traps work?
Traps for boxwood moths work without insecticides and are not used to control the moths. Instead, they use very specific sex pheromones that are only felt by male boxwood moths. In these, they trigger a reaction: the male suspects a female ready to mate behind the chemical code of the scent and sets off in search of the source of the attractant. When the butterfly arrives at the trap that gives off the attractive smell, it follows the trail to a sticky one Glue board or in a funnel under which a water trap waits. In any case, the animal is tied up and sooner or later dies. In this way, the presence of the pest can be reliably detected.
Tip to make water traps more effective: If a boxwood moth trap with a water trap is used, a drop of detergent in the collecting container can improve the success of the catch. If the butterfly hits the water, it sinks much faster because of the reduced surface tension.
Are Box Tree Moth Traps Effective?
Because it corresponds to the biology of the boxwood moth that only the females send attractants to attract the males, only traps are possible to catch the males. How well the moths are attracted depends on both the positioning and the attractant mixture of the respective trap. At our Plantura moth trap is a water trap that covers an area of up to 180 square meters. It is also extremely robust and therefore reusable and does not require any insecticides. Our moth trap comes with 6 attractant dispensers that you should change every 4 to 6 weeks.
In no case will all males flying around end up in the set up trap, but that is not the goal of a boxwood moth trap. It is not supposed to prevent fertilization and thus oviposition by the females, but rather that early on Recognize the appearance of nocturnal animals in order to predict an early oviposition and caterpillar development can.
Moth trap to detect the cycles
Because the moths are nocturnal and the caterpillars are difficult to track down due to their color and position in the boxwood, knowing when the moths fly is of great benefit to you. This way you know when the search for the caterpillars makes sense and you can quickly take countermeasures after discovering the caterpillars. The development of the moth depends on the weather, but it takes place roughly as follows: The adult ones, that is mating capable moths develop from overwintered caterpillars around the beginning of June, then quickly mate and die again. The laid eggs develop into the first large caterpillar generation of the year in July, pupate and also turn into butterflies in August. These mate, lay eggs and the hatching caterpillars overwinter again - until next April, when the cycle starts all over again.
Note: The development phases of the moth can vary slightly from year to year. In southern Germany, depending on the temperature, three generations per year are possible, which makes precise observation all the more important.
When looking at the biology of the moth it becomes clear that the use of sprays or some other kind of control is at least necessary two times in the year makes sense - namely when the caterpillars on the boxwood are active and are also damaged by the agent can. However, up to four cycles are possible per year, so monitoring using a trap should be done in the period from March to October in order to ensure reliable butterfly monitoring guarantee. More about the right time to combat the borer learn from this article.
Conclusion: boxwood moth trap
The development phases of the moth can shift, but with a trap of their own, like the one Plantura moth trap, you always know exactly when an infestation with the voracious caterpillars is to be expected. Fighting the borer with a trap is not possible under any circumstances. The trap only shows you when it is the right time to fight the moth. However, this is the necessary prerequisite for effective and targeted control of the voracious caterpillars, because the caterpillars hatch about one to two weeks after the moths have been sighted. Then you should act as soon as possible to prevent bald patches. To combat it, there is a biological spray like ours Plantura borer-free XenTari® best for.
For more information on the biological control of the box tree moth we recommend this article to you. For another overview too Box tree moth control measures you can find a general summary here.
