Down on the Allotment

Matron grows vegetables and fruit in a Hampshire garden. I've been growing veggies since I was knee high to a grasshopper. Some traditional varieties and old favourites as well as new ideas. I share my garden with my allotment assistant Daisy the Labrador. On Twitter as @MatronsVeggies

Friday, May 30, 2014

Leek Moths

 I have a lovely lot of lovely Musselburgh Leeks planted out now, but Leek Moth has been a problem for me in past years.  A relatively new pest which has crept from the South of England and is travelling North.  I have only noticed this damage in the last couple of years.  The moths lay their eggs in the soil and the larvae burrow their way up through the shaft of the leek.
 So I bought a pheromone Leek Moth Trap the other day.  There are no known sprays which are effective on the Leek Moth, so either fleece covering or pheromone treatments are effective.
 This little rubber thingy smells of the sexy pheromones of the female leek moth.  Poor, desparate male moths come into this little green box thinking they are going to get lucky... and stick to the sticky card in the trap!
 It is hung just above the ground at the same height as the leeks.  There are apparently two bursts of activity for the leek moth, the first is May-June, and the second season is August.  
I will leave this trap for 6 weeks or so, then replace it with a fresh pheromone tab to catch the August moths.  I'll let you know how it works!

5 Comments:

At 10:24 PM, Blogger Dewberry / Amanita said...

What a devious approach to catching moths :) I like it!

 
At 8:54 AM, Blogger Carrie said...

Oh no, another pest is moving up the UK, I don't want it, please keep it and eradicate it with lots of sticky paper! Leeks are one of the most important veggies we grow - I simply will not have a stinky moth larvae eating them from the inside - boke!
Hope you sexy lady moth pheromones do the trick :)

 
At 10:25 AM, Blogger VP said...

I have had loads of problems with leek moths last past few years, so was considering not growing them this year. I didn't know a trap had come onto the market, so thanks for the info :)

 
At 9:05 PM, Blogger Kelli said...

So many pests, so little time. Hope the contraption works well, it looks the part.

 
At 1:42 PM, Blogger Lee said...

Leek moths? As if there weren't enough things to worry about already. Looks like a nifty solution though, good luck with it!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

>