A serious pest is affecting a specific type of shrub in Canada. The popular boxwood shrub is on many properties in our area and if you notice yours decaying, it may be infested with the box tree moth.
Taylor Moore said when she noticed the boxwoods in her front yard were looking rough, she thought she wasn’t watering them enough.
But it was her three-year-old who found the culprit.
“My son, who is obsessed with looking at bugs right now, noticed there were caterpillars crawling on them,” said Moore.
These unassuming creatures are actually an invasive species native to Asia. They have been around in Canada since 2018. While they are not harmful to humans they can cause significant damage to the shrubs.
Box tree moth infestations include chewed leaves, larvae, webbing, and sawdust-like debris.
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Box tree moths appear to be a light green colour with some black stripes on its back and will turn into a boxwood moth that can fly seven to ten kilometres.
Royal Botanical Garden’s Plant Record Specialist, Jon Peter, says it’s important to address the problem early.
“The smaller the caterpillars are the better success you’re going to have at killing them off,” said Peter.
The number one recommended treatment is a biological insecticide called BTK, but the challenge with that is there is a supply issue.
Another way to prevent box tree infestation is by removing boxwood shrubs with other plants that are beneficial for pollinators.
Environment Canada recently released an advisory saying Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador are considered the areas regulated for box tree moths.
Environment Canada is asking anyone who spots the pest outside of Ontario to report it.
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