Catch the buxus moths with a funnel trap

Do boxwood moths also fly from boxwood to boxwood in your garden? By hanging a pheromone trap, you can catch them in a biological way, without harming other insects. It is also durable, because a funnel trap will easily last several years if you treat it well!

Pheromones, what?!

Pheromone capsules spread a female sex hormone to which the males are attracted. The males can then be caught in a trap, which prevents the females from being fertilised and stops the reproductive cycle.

Pheromone capsules can not only be used for the boxwood moth, but can be used for many other unwanted insects such as the leek, plum and chestnut leafminer. There are also suitable pheromones for the cherry fly, vine caterpillar or grape leaf roller.

How should I use the pheromone capsule?

The capsule is packed in an aluminium foil bag. Drop the capsule from the bag directly into the basket of the trap, or wear gloves before opening the bag and taking out the capsule. Do not touch the capsule with your bare hands, because you will 'contaminate' the pheromone with your own body odour, and it will be less effective. You must not open the capsule either, as the pheromone smell will evaporate and it will not attract moths to the trap.

Important to mention is that the capsule does not contain a liquid but a smell! So you cannot see the product!
The capsules give off a decoy odour for about six weeks. However, this differs per pheromone type and depends on the temperature. In warm weather, it is best to change the capsule more often to ensure optimal effectiveness. With 4 capsules, at normal temperatures, you can catch box elder moths for a whole season.
If you do not use the pheromones immediately, they should be kept in the fridge. They will keep for a year. Can you keep them in the freezer? Even better! Then the capsules will last up to two years. Only open the bags when you actually need the pheromones.

What about pheromone gel?

Maybe you are already familiar with pheromone capsules but pheromone gel is new to you. Edialux released a new & patented gel with pheromones this year called Fero-Box. Because the pheromones are enveloped in gel, they are released slowly and the pheromones cannot escape prematurely.

How do you use the pheromone gel?

Spray some of the gel (about half of the syringe) on the glue plate of the delta trap or in the basket of the funnel trap. Which trap you should use (a delta trap or a funnel trap) depends on the type of moth. This is always mentioned on the packaging & in our product sheets. After the working time of the gel is over, you can spray the second part of the gel on the trap. This way, you can lure the moths into the trap for a long period of time. The gel can be kept for 2.5 years when stored between 0 and 65°C. Therefore, you do not need to keep the gel fresh!

Attention: Do not spray too much gel in the basket of the funnel trap, otherwise it will run between the holes of the basket.

Which trap should I use?

We always recommend buying a funnel trap. This is the most durable. You can attach the capsule to the top of the trap, in the basket provided. The male box elder moths will follow the pheromone scent, and will circle above the trap until they get tired and fall into it. Once they are in the trap, they cannot get out again.
You can also use a delta trap with sticky sheets, but these are less durable and you need to buy new sticky traps every year.
It is important to hang the pheromone trap in the garden before the mating flights of the boxwood moths start. This is in mid-May! In this way, the males can be lured to the trap even before they have a chance to fertilize the females.

When should I hang up the trap?

In theory, there are two generations of boxwood moths per year:

First generation = June & July
Second generation = end of August to beginning of October

In reality, we often arrive too late, so that the damage is done and the eggs are laid. 1 Buxus moth can lay up to 800 eggs, so the damage is done quickly!

The first generation of moths therefore flies out during the months of June and July. The female moths then lay their eggs on or under the boxwood leaves, from which the second generation of boxwood caterpillars, and later moths, will emerge. These provide a new peak in August and September. These moths will also lay eggs, from which caterpillars will emerge in October to protect themselves against the coming winter. The cycle then repeats itself. These peak moments are an indication but depend strongly on the temperature. Keep this in mind when you bring out your funnel trap again. Usually you have to hang it out from mid-May onwards. The warmer the weather, the earlier and longer the caterpillars and moths will be active. With the ever-increasing temperature, you will have to use your funnel trap earlier and longer in the future.

My funnel trap is full of moths, now what?

When there is no more sign of life in the trap, you can empty it. You can also place the trap in the freezer for a few hours so that the moths die quickly and less painfully. To speed up the process, you can also fill the funnel trap with a layer of water.

Help, I don't catch any moths?

You are ready to fight the box elder moths. Your funnel trap is already set up in a tree, and you have purchased an arsenal of pheromone capsules. But to your surprise, you don't see any moths flying into the trap? Below, we have listed some of the most common causes for you:

Are there moths flying around in your garden? Maybe the caterpillars are still warm and cosy in their cocoons, and have not yet pupated.
Is your funnel trap at the right height? Make sure that the trap is close to your buxus and at a height of 1.70 metres. This way you will get the best result!
Take the fermion capsule out of the cap of the trap and place it in the beaker itself. Of course, the beaker must not be filled with water, otherwise the capsule will lose its effect.
Are you suffering from a real pest in your garden? Then you will have to hang up several traps. Because there are many females flying around on a limited surface area, the males will no longer be attracted by the pheromone capsule but by the natural attraction odour of the females themselves. They will ignore the pheromone capsule, resulting in an empty trap. So take immediate action as soon as you spot the first caterpillars in your garden to prevent a plague!

Is my boxwood safe if I hang a funnel trap?

A pheromone trap serves to limit the population of boxwood moths. However, the results of the trap will only be truly visible the following year. We are often only there when the eggs are already laid. Can you already see the caterpillars crawling around in your boxwood or are the eggs hanging? Then the pheromone trap will not prevent your boxwood from being eaten. We therefore recommend a combined treatment:

Funnel trap with pheromone to reduce the population
Chemical treatment if you already see a lot of caterpillars. The following remedies are available:

• Organic: mainly on the basis of Spinosad. An example is Conserve garden.
• Chemical: combination of a contact agent (Insecticide 10ME) and a systemic product (For Insect). Thus, the caterpillars you hit when spraying the contact agent die immediately. The systemic agent will end up in the sap flow of the plant. Those you do not hit will die later by eating the boxwood.
Was your boxwood severely damaged by the caterpillars? Help the buxus leaves to recover and use leaf feed. Top Resist Buxus & Hedges is a good remedy for this.