Residents along Lake Ontario asked to be on lookout for box tree moths
Aug. 21—After previously having been reported in Niagara County, the state Department of Agriculture and Markets officials say they are asking residents along Lake Ontario to report any sightings of the box tree moth, an invasive pest.
The moth is a major threat to boxwood plants, which are a valuable portion of the nursery and horticultural industry.
Recent new finds, several of which were reported by area residents, have prompted AGM to increase its survey and trapping along Lake Ontario. The department is now urging residents to report any additional sightings, which will help inspectors to assess impacted areas and reduce the insect's spread in New York state.
In July of 2021, AGM officials found five adult box tree moths in various locations in Niagara County. Because they were detected near the Canadian border, it appears the moths may have flown or been blown into the area from Canada.
AGM Division of Plant Industry staff started surveying for the invasive pest in high-risk areas in Niagara County when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that boxwood plants imported from Canada this past spring could have been infested with the box tree moth. The host plants in Niagara County where the adult moths were trapped were damaged due to flooding.
The inspector visited the site and collected several larvae from a residential yard in Youngstown, which have since been confirmed as box tree moth by Cornell University and USDA's National Identification Services.
"The additional findings of the box tree moth outside the current quarantine area are concerning to the department," State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said. "We want to make sure we minimize the spread of this invasive pest, which can cause extensive damage to boxwood plants, and part of our proactive effort is seeking help from the public. We urge residents to help us combat this pest by looking for Box Tree Moth damage on their plants and reporting it to us right away."
As part of the state's response efforts, inspectors from the department plan to visit residential properties along Lake Ontario in Cayuga, Oswego, and Jefferson counties, with the landowner's permission, to place traps for box tree moth. The department is also urging homeowners to look for signs of box tree moth infestation on their property, listed below.
If box tree moth is suspected, the Department is asking that residents report it here: https://agriculture.ny.gov/reportBTM.
The department also has a quarantine in place to manage the spread of box tree moth, which includes 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 the Department's Horticultural Inspectors. The department will revise the quarantine as necessary, depending on the outcome of its continued survey work.
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 at https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/box-tree-moth.
More information on Box Tree Moth is available on the Department's website: https://agriculture.ny.gov/plant-industry/box-tree-moth.
