Boxwood Leafminer Fact Sheet

This should eliminate the need to use an insecticide.

Boxwood leafminer fact sheet.

Insularis korean boxwood b colchica and pachysandra are susceptible. Dispose of the clippings. Remove and destroy severely affected plants. See section titled insects related pests.

Pruning boxwood back by about 1 3rd to remove the stems with infested leaves will help reduce this pest. Effective control options for boxwood leafminer include applications of neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid e g. Long distance spread of the pathogen is through the movement of infected nursery material. Japonica japanese boxwood b.

This fact sheet from clemson includes using spinosad for control when the leafminers are present in the leaves. There are few known natural enemies of the boxwood leafminer. Columbinae pea leafminer liriomyza huidobrensis. Severely shearing the foliage before adult emergence or after egg laying ends will reduce the overall population.

It occurs everywhere in the usa from the east to the west coast. This is the most serious insect pest that attacks boxwood the leafminer is the larva immature form of a small orangish mosquito like fly. All varieties of boxwood are susceptible but the slower growing english varieties are less. It is difficult to control the adult leafminers because of their short adult.

Merit marathon and generics and dinotefuran e g. These flies are less than inch long and can often be seen swarming around boxwoods in the spring. Boxwood leafminer monarthropalpus flavus. American serpentine leafminer liriomyza trifolii beet leafminer pegomya betae birch leafminer fenusa pusilla boxwood leafminer monarthropalpus flavus columbine leafminer phytomyza aquilegivora and p.

Leafminers printable pdf click on images to see larger view among the many leafminers that affect ornamental and vegetable plants are. Spinosad is the least toxic to the environment. Numerous pests and diseases may. Boxwood leafminer monarthropalpusi flavus is a common and destructive pest that causes significant damage to boxwoods here in the dayton area although the symptoms are often mistaken for winter injury rather than insect infestation since boxwoods are such a popular shrub it s important to control leafminers so they don t spread to neighboring plants and properties.

Leafminers on boxwood shrubs. Boxwoods buxus spp are enjoyed in a range of landscapes as hedges or screens background plantings topiary pieces and other uses. Boxwood leafminer diptera a fly maggot exposed in the tunnel it has eaten between the layers of a boxwood leaf buxus this pest is the most serious pest of this evergreen plant.