Boxwood Pest on the Move

Washington, D.C. - AmericanHort has received unofficial word of the detection of boxwood tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) in several locations in New York State near the U.S./Canada border, just east of St. Catharines, Ontario. This appears to be the result of natural spread from adjacent areas in Canada. USDA and New York State authorities are evaluating response measures.

Landscape and nursery interests in the region have been urged to carefully monitor boxwoods and consider applying treatments to boxwoods right away, as the pest’s second generation is likely still feeding but will soon pupate. Detailed information on life cycle, pest identification, and what to do if the pest is detected can be found here.

During 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture monitored locations in 18 Pennsylvania counties but detected none of the pests

Two years ago, AmericanHort and its foundation, the Horticultural Research Institute (HRI), began advocating for a proactive research effort on this pest.  Recently, HRI hosted a box tree moth webinar featuring science, regulatory, and industry updates as part of its tHRIve Series. You can learn more by visiting the tHRIve webpage and scrolling down to the video recording.