Page 18 - Free State Summer 2023

IT'S TIME FOR SHARING (Continued)

now defoliated boxwood, has a lure inside the green
bucket trap to attract the adult. Inside a pesticide strip
kills the BTM. The yellow card, strategically placed below
the green bucket trap, is covered with a sticky coating
trapping Hymenoptera insects (a vast order which
includes parasitic wasps, ants, bees) and other predators.
The white box below is a data logger, and records
temperature and humidity on an hourly basis. Each week,
this field data is taken to the lab for further examination
and analysis.
Stay tuned
pheromone. The adult males use this same pheromone
to find the female. The male, detecting this large plume Most domestic nurseries, landscapers and homeowners
in the air, flies around searching for the undiscovered have not yet experienced Cydalima. Unfortunately, it
females waiting on the boxwood. It should be noted the is likely the box tree moth may become very familiar to
adult BTM population, male to female ratio, is nearly everyone with boxwood. While potentially devastating,
50:50. Field testing, in established populations, is expected insightful and dedicated research has begun to yield
to begin in 2023. This mating disruption tactic, used in potentially positive results to address effective BTM
conjunction with applications of Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis management.
ssp. kurstaki), has a promising potential to protect Boxwood is a valuable and important broad-leaved
boxwood from complete defoliation by the BTM. If this evergreen shrub. Domestic annual sales in 2014 are
strategy proves successful, and because there are no officially estimated at $126 million. To protect this, the
toxins, any homeowner will be able to confidently use this future will likely include new boxwood cultivars and new
to protect their boxwood from BTM. strategies for proper horticultural care. From this author’s

Because there are still many unanswered questions, both perspective, boxwood will continue to remain a very
the USDA and Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia successful and popular garden shrub.
Tech continue to examine the biology and ecology of The author is the International Registration Authority for
BTM in the US. One approach includes pheromone Buxus, and has written two books: Boxwood Handbook
lures to determine the BTM behavior. This testing station and Boxwood: An Illustrated Encyclopedia available from
(bottom right page 19), placed immediately above a the American Boxwood Society. He can be contacted at

18 SUMMER 2023 • Free State News