What’s New Right Now
We’ve got two fast-moving pest stories this season, and both touch home gardens. On July 21, 2025, federal plant-health officials expanded box tree moth quarantines in Michigan and Ohio. Lapeer County, MI, and Miami County, OH were added, and partial quarantines in Greene and Montgomery Counties, OH, were expanded to cover the entire counties. In plain terms, rules got tighter so boxwood plants don’t carry this pest farther. (APHIS)
At the same time, spotted lanternfly keeps making news. As of April 2025, it had been confirmed in at least 17 states, and public agencies stepped up summer guidance again this August to help home gardeners manage it well. In other words, the map keeps getting bigger, and the advice keeps getting clearer. (People.com, University of Maryland Extension)
Why it matters is simple. Box tree moth threatens our boxwood—those neat hedges and formal borders many of us love. Spotted lanternfly hits grapes, hops, stone fruits, and shade trees, and its sticky “honeydew” makes patios and railings a mess. But most of all, these alerts are a nudge toward calm, smart action. We can protect our yards. We can help our towns. We can slow the spread together.
Think of this guide as your quick, friendly playbook. We’ll keep it simple. We’ll show you what to look for, what to do first, and how to avoid the common traps (pun intended). Instead of panic, we’ll use a plan.
Box Tree Moth: Protect Your Boxwood Without Panic
Meet the pest. Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is a small moth whose caterpillars feed on boxwood leaves. The larvae leave chewed foliage, green-black pellets (frass), and fine webbing tucked near branch tips. Plants can brown fast. In warm months, caterpillars can cycle quickly, so timing matters.
What changed on July 21. Federal regulators expanded quarantines to keep infested boxwood from moving across county and state lines. That means growers and shippers in newly listed areas must follow stricter steps to move boxwood legally, and some items—like clippings and debris—cannot move at all. If you’re in or near Lapeer County (MI), Miami County (OH), or the now-fully covered Greene and Montgomery Counties (OH), assume the rules apply to you and check before moving any boxwood. (APHIS)
What those rules mean for us at home. Think “hold, clean, confirm.”
- Hold: Don’t give away, sell, or move boxwood off your property if you’re in or adjacent to a quarantine area. Even a well-meant pruning bundle can carry the pest.
- Clean: Bag and bin clippings; don’t compost infested material. Wipe down pruners. Sweep trailers. Small details matter.
- Confirm: If you hire a landscaper or buy plants, ask if they operate under the required compliance steps (this is a simple, legal promise to follow the rules). It’s not fussy. It’s how we keep nurseries open and neighbors protected. (APHIS)
How to scout your plants. Walk your boxwood weekly from April through October. Look low, mid, and top. Spread tips and check inside the plant for webbing, frass, and chewed leaves. A bright headlamp helps. If you see caterpillars, take clear photos of leaves, larvae, and the whole shrub.
First moves if you find damage.
- Clip and bag the worst tips. Seal and trash.
- Wash the plant with a strong spray to knock larvae free.
- Re-check in 3–7 days. Caterpillars can hatch in waves.
- Report suspected finds to your state agriculture department or local extension office. Reporting is how officials fine-tune traps and boundaries.
On treatments (keep it careful). For young caterpillars, biological products with Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) can be effective when timed to fresh feeding. For heavier pressure, licensed pros may rotate other labeled products. The label is the law. We read it. We follow it. We keep pollinators in mind: spray at dusk, avoid bloom, and keep drift off flowers and water. If you’re unsure about timing, call your extension office. A quick chat saves money and shrubs.
Cultural care helps more than you think. Boxwood that’s healthy tolerates stress better. Water deeply in long dry spells. Mulch to steady soil moisture. Prune for airflow in late winter to reduce summer humidity inside the shrub (less humidity means fewer disease issues on top of pest pressure). In other words, good horticulture is good defense.
Buying plants this fall? Go slow, buy local, and ask one question: “Where was this boxwood grown?” If the nursery sits in a regulated zone, they should be proud to tell you they’re compliant. That’s a green flag, not a red one. It shows they’re part of the solution.
Traveling with plants? Don’t. Resist the “souvenir shrub.” Bring home photos, not plant pests. A single trunk full of cuttings can undo a county’s worth of work. It’s not dramatic to say so—it’s just true.
Neighborhood teamwork makes a dent. Share a one-page checklist on your street. Offer to help neighbors scout who can’t kneel or lift. Two extra eyes on a hedge can save a block’s worth of boxwood. Small acts add up.
When to breathe easy. After more than one clean inspection (two to three weeks apart) with no new feeding, you’re probably in a good place. Keep watching. Stay curious. Stay kind. If you do catch it early, you’ll feel the difference a week later when regrowth pushes and color returns. That quick win builds trust in the process.
Spotted Lanternfly: Simple Steps That Work
What it is. Spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a sap-feeding planthopper. It prefers tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus), but it also gathers on grapes, hops, maples, walnuts, and more. Adults are gray with black spots and a flash of red under the wings. Nymphs start black with white dots, then turn red-and-black before they grow wings. They ooze honeydew that grows sooty mold on railings, decks, and cars.
Where it stands. As of spring 2025, at least 17 states had some level of confirmed presence, and public agencies refreshed “home garden” guidance in mid-August to match the summer surge. Translation: more places will see more bugs in late summer, and homeowners have better, clearer steps to follow now. (People.com, University of Maryland Extension)
Start with the lifecycle.
- Eggs: laid fall to early winter on trees, stones, trucks, grills—almost anything.
- Nymphs: hatch late spring; hop and climb.
- Adults: show up mid- to late-summer; gather in big numbers and look dramatic.
Your best moves by season.
- Fall–Winter: scrape egg masses into a bag with some rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer; seal and trash. Check fence posts, patio furniture, sheds, trailers, and wheel wells.
- Late Spring–Summer: remove nymphs on sight; focus on host plants and sunny trunks.
- Late Summer–Fall: knock down adults; protect grapes and young fruit trees with physical barriers if pressure is heavy.
Use traps the right way (this matters). We want bugs in traps—not birds. Sticky bands can catch songbirds and beneficial insects. If you must use sticky bands, cover them with a wildlife guard (mesh or chicken wire). Better yet, use circle traps—funnel-style sleeves that let lanternflies climb in and get collected without glue. They’re simple, cheap, and kinder to everything else. (Penn State Extension, extension.rutgers.edu)
Host tree strategy. Tree-of-heaven is lanternfly’s favorite. If it’s on your lot, consider removal with a plan (these trees re-sprout). A licensed arborist can target cut and treat the stump to prevent a dense thicket later. If you keep a few male trees as “trap trees,” do it with a pro and with wildlife-safe trapping. Many homeowners choose full removal and replace with natives. Your yard gets healthier, and SLF has fewer reasons to stick around.
Water, wash, and wipe. Honeydew and sooty mold are gross, but they clean up. A hose and soft brush help on railings and furniture. Rinse cars and playground sets. This isn’t just about looks. Clean surfaces reduce mold stains and ant trails, and they help you spot new egg masses later.
On insecticides (be precise, be safe). Use products that are labeled for spotted lanternfly and for your plant and situation. Follow timing. Avoid drift. Keep sprays off flowers and water. Remember pets and kids. And know that many state extension pages now publish clear, homeowner-safe options and “do not use” notes for common mistakes. When in doubt, call your extension office or a licensed pro for the current, local list. Guidance for home gardens was updated in mid-August to keep advice tight and practical. (University of Maryland Extension)
Grapes, hops, and backyard fruit. If you grow grapes, scout daily in late summer. Shake vines, vacuum light infestations, and net if pressure spikes. Remove nearby tree-of-heaven. Keep vines watered and fed so they can handle stress. For young fruit trees, a quick morning knock-down of adults can spare a lot of sap.
Travel tips that really help. SLF hitchhikes. Before weekend trips, do a “10-minute check” of the car: roof rack, wheel wells, trailer, coolers, strollers. Scrape eggs; squish nymphs; relocate adults into a jar if you can. It may feel small, but this is how we stop new counties from lighting up on the map.
Neighborhood rhythm. Pick one “SLF hour” every Saturday in late summer. We all check fences, trees, and patio gear at the same time. We share a text thread for wins and weird finds. In other words, we turn a chore into a quick community habit. It keeps the vibe light and the results strong.
A note on kindness. Big swarms can fray nerves. We stay patient with each other. We stay careful with pets and pollinators. We avoid home-brew mixes that burn leaves or harm kids. And if a neighbor uses sticky bands without guards, we offer mesh and a smile, not shame. We’re on the same team.
Where “do nothing” is okay. If a few adults show up on a street tree and you don’t grow grapes or hops, you may choose simple knock-down and cleanup. Not every sighting needs a spray plan. The goal is fewer bugs and fewer new egg masses, not spotless bark.
When to call a pro. Heavy clusters on grapes, repeated pressure on young fruit trees, or big egg-mass counts on tall trees may justify licensed help. Ask about non-bee-hazard timing, trunk-injection vs. foliar options, and how they protect nearby bloom. Good pros will answer clearly and match tactics to your yard.
Fresh help is out there. University extensions and state programs keep refreshing homeowner pages as this season unfolds—what to use, what to avoid, and when to act. That’s the good news. The better news is that you get more wins with fewer steps when you follow that up-to-date guidance. (University of Maryland Extension)
Bottom line. SLF is annoying, but beatable at the household scale. A few smart habits, used together, do the heavy lifting: circle traps, egg scraping, host-tree fixes, and quick car checks.
Your 10-Minute Action Plan (Print This)
We promised simple. Here it is—fast and focused. Do this once a week through fall, and you’ll stay ahead.
For boxwood (box tree moth):
- Walk the hedge. Look for chewed tips, webbing, and green-black pellets.
- If you see damage, clip, bag, and bin. Wash pruners.
- Re-check in 3–7 days. If it keeps cycling, call extension or a licensed pro for timing help.
- In or near the named Michigan or Ohio counties? Don’t move boxwood off-site. Ask sellers about compliance before you buy. (APHIS)
For spotted lanternfly:
- Scrape any egg masses you find into a bag with alcohol; seal and trash.
- Use circle traps (or guarded bands) on key trunks; check daily. (Penn State Extension)
- Knock down clusters on vines and young fruit trees early in the day.
- Do the “10-minute car check” before drives: roof rack, wheel wells, trailers, patio gear.
- Follow your state’s current, homeowner-safe guidance; mid-August updates sharpened what to use and when. (University of Maryland Extension)
For the whole yard:
- Water deep and mulch smart; healthy plants handle stress better.
- Replace tree-of-heaven with native trees where you can.
- Keep a simple pest log: date, what you saw, what you did. Patterns help.
For the neighborhood:
- Share this plan. Set a weekly group check time.
- Offer mesh guards to anyone using sticky bands.
- Celebrate small wins. Less honeydew on the deck is a win.
What not to do:
- Don’t move plants, cuttings, or yard debris across county lines if you’re in or near a quarantine.
- Don’t use off-label home mixes that can burn foliage or harm pets.
- Don’t panic. Clear beats loud.
How we’ll know it’s working. Boxwood keeps its color. Vines and young trees look steady. Fewer egg masses show up in fall. Decks stay cleaner. Neighbors complain less. The map grows slower. It won’t be perfect. It will be better.
In other words, we trade fear for skill. We choose steady steps over big swings. We keep the garden alive and the community strong.
One last note on trust. These alerts aren’t meant to scare us. They’re meant to guide us. When agencies adjust a quarantine boundary or post fresh homeowner tips in August, that’s a sign the system is paying attention. It’s a partnership: science watches the field; we act at home. After more than a few seasons of surprises, that partnership is how we win.
Let’s make this the year we get ahead. We’ll check our hedges. We’ll guard our trunks. We’ll clean our cars. We’ll try the simple things first, and we’ll do them well. That’s how slow, local habits beat fast, hitchhiking pests.
And if you’re reading this in one of the newly listed counties, you are not alone. Your steps help the whole region. Your neighbors notice. Your nurseries notice. Your parks notice. That’s worth a lot more than one spotless shrub. That’s community health, hedge by hedge.
Together, we can keep our plants—and our peace—intact.
Quiet Vigil, Strong Gardens