-
9 French expressions to use when there is hot weather
From 'the sun is like lead' to 'cooking like a pancake', here are some phrases to use as the temperature soars across France
-
Meet France's great garden acrobat
With its bright yellow and blue plumage, the Eurasian blue tit is easy to spot in the garden.
-
Petit lapin, coup du lapin: 6 commonly used French rabbit expressions
A potential new penalty for missing a doctor’s appointment has also been nicknamed la taxe lapin - we explain why
Bush-eating moth is back
Boxtree moth decimates shrubs but can be eliminated by gardeners
After causing devastation to parks and gardens last year, the boxtree moth is back.
France 3 in the Alps reports that the larvae resisted a long, cold winter and the gardener’s nightmare is back.
The little green and black caterpillars that arrived in Europe from China about ten years ago are not dangerous to animals or humans but are devastating for bushes.
It is essential to start treating shrubs in early spring to prevent the larvae from developing and allowing the insect to spread.
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France
A particularly effective organic product is bacillus thuringirensis, which paralyses the caterpillar.
There are also more conventional insecticides but these may kill other non-harmful insects as well. Some gardeners prefer bespoke traps using pheromones and glue.