Yes, but the caterpillars/moths have a tendency to return, and each time they do, the plant is usually weakened. In theory you can treat it rather than just removing the caterpillars, but unless you do so persistently and at the right time, the plant will often fail to thrive and look attractive. A weakened plant is also less resistant to that other box disease, box blight.
Throwing expensive treatments at this sort of disease can certainly help, but it often just delays the inevitable, in which case replacement with a different plant is often the best strategy.
Last weekend I found that I have an abundance of frogs!
I have two ponds beside each other - last autumn I managed to clean one of them out of all the leaf drops from two seasons. Very unpleasant and smelly task. During the previous week I had noticed a couple of frogs in a pond and thought Iâd better get my skates on and clear out the second pond before it was full of spawn.
Just as well I did! I pumped the water out and started scooping out the leaves. Increasingly, I found tadpoles from last year still wriggling away; and then frogs. Several of them were already paired/ stuck to one another. I must have moved 30-40 frogs from one pond to the other. I can only guess how many there are now in the first pond. The pond I just cleared out has no leaves or other cover material and yet this evening there must be 10 or more frogs enjoying a pretty full moon!
I really had not got a clue as to how many frogs gather at this (or any other) time of year. Helps explain why I had so many tadpoles last year I suppose!
