Invasive pest detected in Ohio; several counties under quarantine WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio [Video]

DAYTON — Six southwest Ohio counties, including some in the Miami Valley, are under a quarantine aimed at preventing the spread of an invasive insect – the box tree moth.

Beginning on April 11, Butler, Greene, Montgomery, Warren, Clermont, and Hamilton counties will have regulations in place restricting the movement of boxwood shrubs out of the area, according to the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA).

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The ODA is encouraging landscapers and residents in the impacted counties to check the quarantine boundaries and not transport the plants outside of the quarantined areas.

The box tree moth was detected in June 2023 near the border of Hamilton and Clermont counties. Since then, more sightings have been confirmed in the counties under quarantine.

The invasive pests pose a threat to boxwood plantings and the horticulture industry.

Both the ODA’s plant health inspectors and the United States Department of Agriculture’s staff …