Firstly, what is it?
It's a "new" pest which is affecting our beloved Box hedges and topiary: it's as destructive as Blight, it spreads as quickly as Blight, and it's working across the UK, as I can tell by the increasing numbers of questions I am receiving on this topic.
It was introduced to the UK in 2008 - accidentally, we assume - and I encountered it for the first time in Oxfordshire in 2022, and I'm seeing a steady increase in the incidence of the damage, which looks like this:
As the name suggests, it's the caterpillar of a moth which is doing all the damage, so it's a flying pest, which explains how it has spread so rapidly. And, as it's an introduction to the UK, there's nothing here that eats it: hence the fast spread, and the sheer amount of damage it can do.
So let's take a look at it....
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