We're all in this together.

Sick of this phrase yet? I know it’s starting to wear on me too, but as inhabitants of a single beautiful planet that seems to get smaller and smaller with each passing year, we are in a lot of things together… changes in climate, waiting for rocket pieces to fall to earth, and visits from aliens… not aliens from outer space (although given the context, this would be applicable too), I am referring to earthly alien species.

An alien species is a species that has been introduced to an area outside of it’s natural range. Now it is important to note that an alien species is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact many of our cherished landscape plants are alien species that have come to us from the far reaches of the globe, brought together in our gardens in the name of horticulture.

Now that’s a LOT of aliens! Many of these beauties look like they come from another planet; they are certainly not from around here! Growing together in southern Ontario, they can be found on the property of a fellow landscape gardener who happens to have a passion for the rare and unusual.

Alien species become a problem however, when they are invasive- that is they cause ecological or economical harm in their new environment. Unfortunately we know alien invasive pests all too well. They are introduced (either by accident or intentionally) and wreak havoc on species that are near and dear to our hearts: Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi) virtually eliminating elms from our landscape, emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) decimating our ash trees, European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar dispar) defoliating the giants that grow among us, Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) obliterating our showiest of summer flowers and feeding on the roots of our plants…. phew! Need I go on? And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

The all too familiar sights of some common alien invasive pests. Clockwise from top left: a European gypsy moth egg mass (that can contain up to 1000 eggs!), crown die-back on an ash tree associated with the feeding of emerald ash borer within the tree, and Japanese beetles caught in a compromising position…

With the constant movement of people and products across our globe, the introduction of invasive pests is a problem that is not going to go away any time soon and unfortunately the landscape industry in Ontario is monitoring a new pest- the box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis)- an insect that was first detected in Etobicoke in the summer of 2018. This little pest is capable of severely defoliating a boxwood hedge in one growing season. Yikes! Not great news considering the fact that boxwood is a popular and widely planted shrub in the southern Ontario landscape. (For readers outside of the GTA in Ontario, my apologies! While I try to keep my information relevant to a wider audience, this is one topic that is ‘close to home’ that I feel I need to post! Besides, this may someday become your problem too! If you are already dealing with box tree moth in your country…thanks for sharing.)

I am not going to get into the nitty gritty of the box tree moth here, but if you want to know more about this pest and it’s biology, check out this article written by Jen Llewellyn (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Nursery and Landscape Specialist) and posted on the Landscape Ontario Website. It contains great information about the pest and contains fantastic photos too! You can also check out this handy dandy IDENTIFICATION CARD as a ‘Cole’s Notes’ reference source. Finally, Landscape Ontario has also put out a helpful FLYER with more information including photos of box tree moth damage and signs to watch for.

Now before you start feeling helpless and depressed by the seemingly bleak future of our boxwoods, there is actually good news… YOU CAN HELP! Yes you!

Landscape Ontario is looking for volunteers to become ‘citizen scientists’ (that means you don’t actually need to be a scientist!), mainly in the Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill, Markham and Scarborough areas, to monitor for box tree moths on their own properties. Monitoring helps with early detection and control of the pest. It also helps scientists learn more about the biology, behaviour, and population ecology of box tree moth as well as how quickly it is able to disperse across our Ontario landscape; all this information can ultimately guide ‘best management practices’ and/or regulatory actions aimed at controlling/containing the spread of this pest.

Volunteer home owners/citizen scientists with boxwood plants on their properties are needed in the areas located roughly along the purple line.

So what is involved in becoming a citizen scientist for box tree moth monitoring?

In general, citizen scientists would:

• Host and hang a box tree moth trap (it looks like a green milk carton) approximately 1 meter from the ground, within 20 feet of boxwood plants, from May to September 30th, 2021

• Open the trap on the same day each week and report the number of box tree moths found (including photos of the moths)

• Store a packaged pheromone lure in the freezer for later use (it would be unwrapped and placed in the trap in the middle of August to replace the 3-month lure initially loaded in the trap)

• Continue weekly monitoring until the end of September

So… if you are ready to be a scientist contact me and I will connect you to the appropriate person.

If you are not ready to make the commitment, be sure to monitor your boxwood plants for this new pest. While there are multiple signs to look for, larvae (and their associated feeding damage) can be found between mid-May and mid-June and again between mid-July and mid-August. Findings can be reported to www.inspection.gc.ca/pests

Happy scouting!