Pest identification
What's eating my sweet box?
Slugs and snails
Signs: Irregular holes and ragged margins on new soft leaves in spring, with silvery slime trails left behind.
Control: Use iron phosphate pellets or copper barriers around plants; encourage slug predators such as hedgehogs, frogs, and ground beetles.
Scale insects
Signs: Sticky stems and leaves with waxy brown or white bumps; sooty mold develops on honeydew deposits.
Control: Treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap spray at crawler stage; scrape off manually on light infestations.
Aphids
Signs: Clusters of small soft insects on new growth cause leaf distortion and sticky honeydew.
Control: Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil. Natural predators such as ladybirds provide good background control.
Keep sweet box pest-free
Healthy plants resist pests best. Get the basics right:
Sweet Box pests — FAQ
What is eating my sweet box?
Sarcococca hookeriana var. digyna (Sweet Box) is notably pest-resistant and rarely seriously troubled. Slugs and snails may chew soft new growth in spring, and scale insects or aphids can occasionally appear on stems. It is generally considered deer resistant due to its leathery leaves and strong scent. Good drainage and airflow keep problems to a minimum.
How do I get rid of slugs and snails on sweet box?
Irregular holes and ragged margins on new soft leaves in spring, with silvery slime trails left behind. Use iron phosphate pellets or copper barriers around plants; encourage slug predators such as hedgehogs, frogs, and ground beetles.
How do I get rid of scale insects on sweet box?
Sticky stems and leaves with waxy brown or white bumps; sooty mold develops on honeydew deposits. Treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap spray at crawler stage; scrape off manually on light infestations.
How do I get rid of aphids on sweet box?
Clusters of small soft insects on new growth cause leaf distortion and sticky honeydew. Blast off with water; apply insecticidal soap or neem oil. Natural predators such as ladybirds provide good background control.