Invasive species: Residents asked to watch for Box Tree Moths

ALBION — A quarantine on boxwood has been enacted in Orleans County in an effort to combat the invasive Box Tree Moth.

Residents along the Lake Ontario shoreline are also being asked to keep an eye out for Box Tree Moth infestations.

The Box Tree Moth is a major threat to boxwood plants, which are a valuable portion of the nursery and horticultural industry, state Department of Agriculture and Markets officials said in a news release. The invasive species had previously been found in Niagara County, near the Canadian border.

New finds have prompted the state to increase its survey and trapping along Lake Ontario.

A quarantine in now place to manage the Box Tree Moth’ spread, including Niagara, Erie, and Orleans counties. The quarantine prohibits the sale and movement of boxwood to areas outside of the quarantine area and requires companies selling boxwood to maintain sales records for inspection by Ag & Markets Horticultural Inspectors.

The Department will revise the quarantine as necessary, depending on the outcome of its continued survey work. Residents along Lake Ontario are also asked to report any additional sightings, which will help inspectors to assess impacted areas.

“Residents can help prevent the box tree moth from spreading,” said National Policy Manager Allen Proxmire of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Please allow state or federal agricultural officials to inspect your boxwoods and place an insect trap if they visit your property. If you have boxwoods, please inspect them for signs of box tree moth and once you report it, treat or trim the plant to save it because a box tree moth infestation is lethal to the plant.”

If Box Tree Moth is suspected, the Department is asking that residents report it at https://agriculture.ny.gov/reportBTM.

Property owners and managers looking for information on managing Box Tree Moth infestations can contact their local Cornell Cooperative Extension office or visit the NYS Integrated Pest Management website.

Box Tree Moth larvae are easily recognizable. They are green and yellow with white, yellow, and black stripes and black spots.

Signs of damage may not appear at the beginning of an infestation because young larvae hide among twigs and leaves.

Signs of a Box Tree Moth feeding on a plant include chewed, cut, or missing leaves, yellowing or brown leaves, white webbing, and green-black excrement on or around the plant. Larvae skeletonize the leaves and feed on the bark, causing defoliation and dryness, eventually leading to the plant’s death.

Adult Box Tree Moths generally have white bodies with a brown head and abdomen. Their wings are white and slightly iridescent, with an irregular thick brown border.

Some adults have completely brown wings with a small white streak on each forewing. Males and females can show both colorations.

More information on Box Tree Moth is available at https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/box-tree-moth.

Johnson Newspapers 7.1