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!