Mullein moth
Published: Thursday, 14 March 2019 at 3:00 pm
Mullein moth caterpillars can strip a buddleia bare - spot and combat them, with help from our guide
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The mullein moth, Cucullia verbasci, lays its eggs on verbascum, buddleia and figwort at the end of spring. Shortly after, from late spring to midsummer, the caterpillars demolish the foliage. Bad infestations can actually strip a plant. They then hide in the soil to pupate.
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Symptoms
Caterpillars eat holes in the leaves of verbascums, buddleia and figwort. In severe cases, the plant's leaves are completely decimated.
Find it on
verbascum, buddleia, figworts
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Organic
The bright yellow and black caterpillars are easy to spot as they crawl across the leaves, and can be picked off by hand.
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