Box Tree Moth
HYANNIS – The state Department of Agricultural Resources is urging the public to check their properties and newly-acquired foliage for signs of Box Tree Moths, an invasive species that can cause significant damage.
According to the department, residents should primarily search any boxwood shrubs, as a number of nurseries within the Commonwealth recently received Canadian boxwood plants that were potentially infested with the moths.
Larry Dapsis, entomologist with the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, said that he and local authorities are routinely on the look-out for new invasive species.
“We’re always conscious of invasive species because, typically, they arrive in a destination where they have no natural enemies, and tend to inflate and be big problems,” said Dapsis.
No sign of the moths have been found in local nurseries and distribution centers, but state officials still warn that some of the plants may have been sold before inspections began, or were purchased out of state and planted in Massachusetts.
Dapsis said that boxwood plants in general have been known to harbor several kinds of pests.
“Boxwoods: they really have problems. There’s many things that eat them and you add this one on top of it, it’s just one more.”
The moths can produce several generations between June and October, making detection of their possible presence in the area urgent, said state officials.
Signs of the pests can include eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults.
Residents can report the invasive species online here.
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