BOSTON — MDAR is announcing that the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has established a quarantine for the invasive pest known as box tree moth for the entire state of Massachusetts, and has set conditions for the export of boxwood shrubs from the Commonwealth.
Through a Federal Order, USDA APHIS has added the entire state of Massachusetts to areas in the United States quarantined for box tree moth. Several counties in Ohio have also been added, and established quarantine zones in Michigan and New York have been expanded.
Effective immediately, to prevent the spread of box tree moth to uninfested areas, boxwood plants may only be moved outside of Massachusetts by a business operating under a compliance agreement issued by MDAR. The compliance agreement requires boxwoods to be inspected and treated regularly by trained nursery staff, and notification must be made to MDAR if box tree moth is found. Additionally, all exports must be accompanied by an authorized agricultural certificate. This quarantine covers all boxwood plants (Buxus species), plant parts, pieces, cuttings, clippings, debris, or any other portion of the plant, alive or dead, except for boxwood roping, wreaths, and other decorative items. The quarantine does not impact existing plantings of boxwoods, or boxwoods that are purchased to be planted in Massachusetts.
Nurseries and other growers and sellers wishing to export boxwoods out of Massachusetts must enter into a compliance agreement with MDAR, and can start the process by visiting here.
Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is an invasive pest that feeds on the leaves of boxwood shrubs, popular plants commonly used in landscaping. The caterpillars can cause complete defoliation, eventually killing the plant. Box tree moth was first found in Massachusetts in the summer of 2023, in Barnstable County. Box tree moth eggs are typically laid in gelatinous masses on the underside of boxwood leaves but may also be laid singly. Caterpillars can grow up to 1.5 inches long, and are yellowish green with a black head, and long black stripes and spots that reach from the head to the end of the body. The caterpillars create pockets of webbing within the boxwood shrubs to wall themselves off from predators. When they are ready to morph into adult moths, they form small green pupae. Adults typically have white wings with a dark brown border but can sometimes be all brown with just a small white streak on each wing.
Anyone outside of Barnstable County who spots any signs of box tree moth should report it to MDAR at mass.gov/box-tree-moth.
For additional resources on box tree moth, please visit:
- Mass.gov box tree moth information
- Box tree moth fact page from MDAR
- Map of known infested areas of BTM in Massachusetts
- USDA box tree moth page
–Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
