ODA Expands Box Tree Moth Quarantine Area Adding Seven Counties

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is expanding the Box Tree Moth (BTM) quarantine zone to stop the spread of the invasive insect.

Beginning January 30, 2026, the updated quarantine will include Preble, Clark, Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Lorain, Lake, and Lucas in addition to the existing quarantine which includes Miami, Montgomery, Greene, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton, and Warren.

A quarantine will allow ODA to restrict the movement of boxwood shrubs. ODA is encouraging landscapers and residents in these counties to check the quarantine boundaries and not transport the plants outside of the area. The extension of the current quarantine is due to the detection of the moth in new locations last May - October. Box tree moths were detected in Ohio in June 2023, near the border of Hamilton and Clermont counties.

A map of the new quarantine zone can be found here.

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. Federal and state officials are asking industry and the public to report suspected box tree moth sightings through ODA's reporting tool.

ODA plant health inspectors and United States Department of Agriculture staff will be conducting inspections and placing traps to monitor populations. Box tree moths are not a threat to Ohio's native plants.

Residents can look for and report any potential infestation by following these steps:

• Familiarize yourself with the insect's appearance and evidence of damage on boxwood shrubs.
• Check any boxwood plants you have for signs of box tree moth life stages.
• If you find any evidence of infestation, take a picture, and report it.

Evidence of damage includes chewed, cut, or missing leaves, yellowing or brown leaves, white webbing, and green-black excrement on or around the plant.

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.

Landscape professionals, nursery, and others in the green industry with questions about the new regulation can contact the Plant Pest Control Section at 614-728-6400.