{"id":29118,"date":"2025-07-23T09:00:28","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=29118"},"modified":"2025-07-23T11:14:41","modified_gmt":"2025-07-23T15:14:41","slug":"box-tree-moth-confirmed-in-washington-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2025\/07\/23\/box-tree-moth-confirmed-in-washington-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Box Tree Moth Confirmed in Washington County"},"content":{"rendered":"

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First Detection of Pest in Maryland<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

ANNAPOLIS, MD (July 23, 2025)<\/strong>– The Maryland Department of Agriculture <\/strong>and\u00a0USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS)<\/strong> have confirmed the presence of box tree moth<\/a> (Cydalima perspectalis<\/em>) <\/strong>in a state park in Washington County.\u00a0 This is the first detection of this destructive pest in Maryland.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland Park Service staff are working this week to remove and destroy the affected boxwoods that were found at Fort Frederick State Park as a way to prevent the spread of this invasive pest.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The box tree moth (BTM), a federally regulated insect, is a destructive pest of boxwoods, feeding primarily on them. They can produce multiple generations per year and, if left unchecked, can destroy the plant. BTM was first found in the United States in New York in 2021 and has rapidly spread with populations found in Delaware, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.<\/span><\/p>\n

Early detection is the key to preventing significant damage, loss and spread of the box tree moth. For information on how to identify and treat this pest please visit the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What You Can Do<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n