On December 3, 2025, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) announced the establishment the Box Tree Moth Quarantine for the counties of Clarke and Frederick and the city of Winchester. The box tree moth (BTM) was first detected in Virginia in the summer of 2025 during surveying efforts performed by VDACS.

Box tree moth only affects boxwood plants and is a rapid defoliator of the plant. Box tree moth can lay more than 30 eggs in a single clutch. When the caterpillars hatch, they quickly begin eating leaves and can, in large numbers, consume all the leaves of a boxwood plant. When no more leaves are on the plant, the caterpillars then move to consume the outer bark of the boxwood stems, which can kill even mature boxwood plants. The box tree moth life cycle includes egg, caterpillar, pupae, and moth. When adults leave their cocoon, they will disperse to find a mate and start the cycle over again, flying up to several miles to do so. The box tree moth can have up to five generations per year in Virginia, which means it can spread relatively large distances in a single year.

Quarantine Information

VDACS established the Box Tree Moth Quarantine to slow the rate at which the box tree moth moves from infested areas to uninfested areas of the Commonwealth. The quarantine restricts the movement of all living life stages of BTM, all boxwood (Buxus spp.) plants, and boxwood plant parts out of the quarantine, unless a business first obtains a permit or compliance agreement from VDACS. The compliance agreement allows for the self-certification of regulated articles by the business and requires the business to inspect boxwood plants for evidence and presence of BTM, set and monitor traps, treat regularly if BTM is found, train staff, and notify the receiving state when shipments of boxwood plants will be shipped outside of the quarantined areas. VDACS will issue the permit or compliance agreement to businesses at no cost.

Individuals who plan to move regulated articles out of the quarantined area should contact VDACS’ Office of Plant Industry Services to determine options for permitting and compliance agreements at complianceagreements@vdacs.virginia.gov.

More Information (Links)

• Box Tree Moth Quarantine (pdf)
• Box Tree Moth Compliance Agreement - Example (pdf)
• USDA APHIS Box Tree Moth Information
• Virginia Quarantine Map (pdf)
• Virginia Tech Box Tree Moth Fact Sheet

Reporting

Currently, BTM has only been found in the counties of Clarke and Frederick and the city of Winchester. If you are outside of the current Box Tree Moth Quarantined area and you suspect your boxwood plants have been infested by box tree moth, VDACS encourages you to report a sighting of box tree moths or their damage here: Virginia Invasive Species Reporting Tool or ReportAPest@vdacs.virginia.gov.

VDACS does not need reports of BTM found within the quarantine. If you suspect you have BTM on your boxwood plants and you are located within the quarantine, please contact your local Cooperative Extension office for treatment recommendations.

Contact

For questions regarding the Box Tree Moth or the quarantine, please visit the Office of Plant Industry Services directory or call 804.786.3515.