Why experts say every boxwood owner should be watching for this invasive pest

More counties in Maryland have been put on notice about an invasive moth that can quickly kill one of the most popular plants in the D.C. region. The box tree moth loves, not surprisingly, based on its name, boxwoods, and it’s been spotted in Maryland, Virginia and Delaware.

“The current quarantine notice is quite disturbing. We now have something like six to eight counties here in Maryland that are now quarantined for this rascal,” said the “Bug Guy” Mike Raupp, an entomologist and professor emeritus at the University of Maryland. “That indicates to me it’s spreading very rapidly and we’re getting better at detecting where exactly this very noxious pest is here in Maryland.”

The latest confirmed detections in Maryland’s Eastern Shore counties have led to quarantines being declared in Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties. State agriculture officials said the moth was confirmed in Caroline, Cecil and Queen Anne’s counties, while Kent County was added because of its proximity to the affected areas and Delaware.

This comes after quarantines were put in place for Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. In December, Virginia declared a quarantine for the bug in Clarke and Frederick counties and the city of Winchester.

“This boxwood tree moth can actually be a killer of these boxwoods in a very, very rapid period of time,” Raupp said.

The quarantine zones are meant to slow the spread of the box tree moth by restricting...