The boxwood borer plague has been a vexing topic among hobby gardeners since around 2007. Of course, many means and methods have been established to combat the pest. Can wasps also make their contribution to this? To a certain extent yes!
Do wasps help against the boxwood moth?
Wasps can help in the fight against boxwood borer infestations because they have discovered the caterpillars as a food source. However, they cannot completely eliminate a severe infestation, so measures such as neem oil are still required to successfully control the pest.
The creative food procurement of wasps
It's easy to get upset about wasps because of their often quite stubborn, offensive behavior at the coffee table in the garden. As is so often the case, this anger can be turned into something positive with the right perspective. The wasp workers' busy, insatiable way of procuring food can also be useful to the hobby gardener. Among other things, in the fight against the box tree moth.
In the initial period after the unfortunate introduction of this butterfly from East Asia, it had free rein to pursue its boxwood-destroying activities. Because of course he hadn't taken his natural predators with him from his homeland. And our local fauna initially didn't seem interested in the immigrant.
Little by little, however, some species have discovered the thick, nutritious caterpillars of the European borer as a welcome addition to their diet. These pioneers include, in particular, some birds such as sparrows. But also wasps! Nature conservation organizations and private individuals have repeatedly researched and confirmed the preference of the black and yellow insects. So their greedy, fearless nature pays off here - and many a boxwood lover could make friends with them.
So remember:
- Wasps are not only eager for our treats on the garden table
- are also among the pioneers in the discovery of the box tree borer as a new food source
The little disillusionment
The fact that wasps like to prey on boxwood moth caterpillars is good news. However, the fight against the pest is unfortunately not over. No matter how effectively the wasps contribute to decimating it, they cannot eliminate a severe infestation. In such a case, neem oil and co.serve.
Nevertheless, wasps can also act as a preventive measure: In contrast to the boxwood moth caterpillars, the yellow-black striped wasps are easy to recognize in the dark green box leaves. If you regularly observe your potted box or boxwood hedge in spring, wasps sitting in it can be an indication of an infestation and you can take action early on.
