16/06/2026
Whilst this moth looks harmless and pretty, in reality it’s one of the most vilified and disliked invertebrates in the country at the minute! The dreaded Box Moth - which creates the dreaded box caterpillar which can eviscerate your prized topiary in short order. 🙃 In truth, there isn’t a lot you can do do combat it (aside from using harmful pesticides and chemicals) as they have multiple life cycles in a season and their voracious appetite is unyielding. Your best option is to use a box alternative, such as;
🌺 Box Leaf Holly (Ilex Crenata)
🌺 Yew
🌺 Pittisporum
🌺 Escallonia
🌺 Myrtle - Chilean Guava
These are much easier to manage and maintain and give a similar effect to box. Unless you’re extremely diligent and hand pick the caterpillars yourself, it’s really hard to keep box healthy, and even if you manage to keep the moth at bay… you have to watch out for box blight! 🫣
