All You Need to Know About the Boxwood Leafminer
What is a boxwood leafminer?
Boxwood leafminer is an insect that “mines” or digs into the leaves of most boxwoods and is a severe problem to deal with. If your boxwoods are infected, and most have this issue and are not immune to this problem, the small, orange flying insect will emerge in spring, typically around late April into early May in Central NJ and Bucks County PA when the daytime temps have warmed up for a sustained amount of time. These little pests, once emerged from the leaves, swarm around the boxwoods they just came out of and then almost immediately begin to pierce the leaf surface of that boxwood, laying their eggs for the new season. It’s a major problem, but wonderous at the same time because of the efficiency of the bug. To be able to do all this damage in such a short amount of time, and then start all over again is amazing!
What kind of damage does Boxwood Leafminer do?
Leafminers are nasty little insects that scar a boxwood plant for a long time and over time, if they aren’t addressed, can kill the shrub. As you see above, the leaves get severely damaged. The piercing that is done causes the yellow spots which can coalesce causing the leaves to turn completely yellow, then brown. What do the brown leaves mean…death, thus they fall to the ground as if it were a deciduous tree in autumn, not an evergreen. But it’s not the adult that lays the eggs that does the real damage. The larvae in the image below is the real culprit.
What are larvae and why can they be more dangerous than adults?
Larvae are the little “worms” that hatch from many insect eggs. Insects lay eggs wherever their preferred area or host is which in time, hatch and out comes the worm or larvae. Sometimes, the larvae of insects are not the most damaging life cycle of the insect; sometimes it can be the adult. And sometimes, as with Japanese Beetles for example, it’s both the larvae AND the adult. (Grubs and adult beetles.) Boxwood leafminer larvae though, are the real problem. In the image above, you see how small they are in my hand, and there can be anywhere from 1 to about 7 or so inside ONE boxwood leaf. Now that’s real damage!
Is there anything I can do to stop leafminers from enjoying my boxwoods?
There’s not a great deal ORGANICALLY( and we are an organic company) that prevents Boxwood leafminer. Keeping your plants healthy, fertilizing regularly, making sure the growth isn’t too dense allowing for good light and airflow, goes a long way in keeping your boxwoods happy and healthy. NON-ORGANICALLY, you can apply preventative insecticdes, but those insecticides when sprayed in the air, will kill everything. It’s an extremely irresponsible way of taking care of the issue because the bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects will die too.
So what can I do if I want an Organic landscape?
As I stated above, keeping your boxwoods healthy goes a long way in preventing or suppressing issues, not just leafminers. If boxwoods are infected, we use a non-organic insecticide which is allowed by law and is called a Rescue Treatment. This application is performed very responsibly as we inject the non-organic insecticide into the root zone, making sure the liquid goes straight to the roots. By doing this, the insects above ground flying around are unaffected. This insecticide will generally last about two years so you won’t have to do it again and hopefully, the leafminer will evacuate to your neighbor’s yard.
Be vigilant concerning your landscapes. Your plants are important not just to your property, but also to wildlife. Healthy plants are happy plants, and they will give you enjoyment for years to come. Visit YouTube for more information on Boxwood Leafminer.
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