An invasive pest threatening one of Ohio’s most popular landscape plants has been detected in four additional counties. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has confirmed the presence of box tree moths (BTM) in monitoring traps placed in Ashtabula, Clark, Cuyahoga, and Preble counties.

First detected in Ohio in June 2023, BTM has now been found in 11 counties across the state; Ashtabula, Butler, Clark, Clermont, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, Greene, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Warren.

The box tree moth is an invasive pest from East Asia that poses a threat to boxwood plantings and the horticulture industry. Boxwood is an important ornamental shrub that is a valuable part of Ohio’s nursery stock economy. Federal and state officials are asking the public and horticultural businesses to spot a

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