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Tiny white ?eggs? on box hedge

AdstidAdstid Posts: 78
in Problem solving
Morning everyone!

Just noticed tiny white balls settled all over my box hedge leaves. Should I be worried? Are they eggs of some kind? And if so is there anything I can do before they hatch out?

Not sure how well they'll show up in my photos as they're so small my camera can't really focus on them but they're all over! Pretty concerned as this hedge has been super-healthy up till now.



Posts

  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I can't see the leaves very well, but it's most likely Mealybug or scale. It's not really that easy to control on box. I think it's mainly on the new growth, so try blasting the leaves with a jet spray on a cloudy day. I would remove the first inch of soil around the base and lay a new mulch over the area. 
  • AdstidAdstid Posts: 78
    Thank you! Good idea about the mulch.
  • stefankaradzic84stefankaradzic84 Posts: 1
    Hi
    Can I ask how you solved this problem and if in fact they were Mealy Bugs?
    My hedge looks identical to this :(
    Thanks
  • patrickgeakepatrickgeake Posts: 1
    It could be Box Sucker (Psylla buxi). 
  • christine.gowersmithchristine.gowersmith Posts: 1
    I have been puzzling over these deposits on my box trees for ages - recently found out that they are the eggs of the Box Tree Moth - the larvae will defoliate the tree or hedge and make it look like it has mange. There is a biological treatment for it XenTari Raupenfrei  which you spray on to the leaves every 10 days. The caterpillars die when they ingest it . The moth breeds 3 times during April to September so constant vigilance is needed. You can also buy traps to catch the moths before they lay eggs but the traps are quite expensive. Hope this helps. 
  • lmacb14lmacb14 Posts: 1
    I have these white curly bits on my box hedge in Utah, USA, and did a bit more looking online.  It does seem to be not eggs, but frass from box suckers, aka box psyllid or box plant lice.  The site I found here:  https://es.gardenmanage.com/statuses/1000149927.html   

    has suggestions for management and the first one is that, if it's not too bad an infestation, just ignore it.  It is mostly an aesthetic issue and won't affect the long term health of the plant. You can also spray with insecticidal soap, or oil, and help to control it. 

    Anyway, I just wanted to post this for the next person panicking about what the heck that white curly stuff is on their box hedge.   Blessings!!
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