CLEVELAND (WJW) — The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has expanded the quarantine zone for the invasive box tree moth after it was discovered in new locations between May and October of 2025.
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The updated quarantine zone includes a handful of northeast Ohio counties including Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Lorain and Lake. The quarantine allows ODA to restrict the movement of boxwood shrubs from the quarantined counties.
Boxwoods are popular evergreen shrubs often in a compact, rounded form. They’re a popular plant for low hedges or knot gardens, according to Petitti’s Garden Center, and maintain their green color throughout the winter.
“Box tree moths are an invasive pest from East Asia that pose a threat to boxwood plantings and Ohio’s horticulture industry. Boxwood is an important ornamental shrub that is a valuable part of the state’s nursery stock economy,” according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website.
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State and federal officials will place traps to help monitor populations, according to ODA. Meanwhile, residents and landscapers are asked to familiarize themselves with the insect and evidence of damage from the moths. If you think you’ve seen a box tree moth, you’re asked to take a picture and report the sighting using the ODA’s reporting tool.
EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE:
Check your boxwood plants for “chewed, cut or missing leaves.” Additionally, check for yellowing or browning leaves, white webbing and green-black excrement on or around the plant, according to ODA.
APPEARANCE:
Box tree moth caterpillars are green and yellow with white, yellow, and black stripes and black spots. Adult box tree moths are nocturnal and have white, slightly iridescent wings, with an irregular thick brown border, according to ODA’s website.
You can view the updated map of all Ohio counties now included in the quarantine zone here.
Box tree moths are not a threat to Ohio’s native plants. They were first discovered in the state in 2023…