The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding to a significant plant health threat and needs your help. Please check your boxwood plants for the invasive and destructive box tree moth.
During the spring, a number of U.S. nurseries received potentially infested Canadian boxwood plants. This invasive pest feeds on the plants’ leaves, and can cause complete defoliation, eventually killing the plant.
Many New York residents have already purchased and planted these boxwoods. If you bought one, you may have infested boxwood on your property. USDA wants to prevent the box tree moth from spreading and establishing itself in the State and beyond.
Help Protect New York’s Boxwoods!
Here’s how you can help: If you bought a boxwood plant during spring 2021, please inspect it for signs of the moth and report any findings to your local USDA office or State agriculture department. If State or Federal agriculture officials visit your home, please allow them to inspect your boxwood trees and place an insect trap. Box tree moths can produce several generations between June and October, so acting now is essential to prevent this pest from establishing itself in New York.
This is what you should look for:
Box Tree Moth caterpillars and webbing.
Image of damage done to boxwood by box tree moths
Image of box tree moth pupa on leaves.
Box Tree Moth egg mass under leaf
Adult Box Tree Moth
Dark form of adult Box Tree Moth
Report signs of infestation to:
Your USDA local office: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/sphd
or
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets
More Information
For more information about the moth and boxwoods, or USDA’s response with State partners, visit: www.aphis.usda.gov/planthealth/box-tree-moth
