Box tree moth Quarantine Expanded; Now includes Cumberland, Atlantic, and Cape May Counties

as posted by Tim Waller, Rutgers Plant & Pest Advisory

This PPA post has no legal bearing. 

This is a long but extremely important post about the expansion of the Box Tree Moth (BTM) Quarantine into the major boxwood production counties of New Jersey. This impacts everyone in NJ – Please read this message. Click HERE to read entire Advisory.

On August 21, 2026, the Department and USDA staff further detected Box Tree Moth on residential plantings in Commercial Township, Cumberland County, New Jersey; and the detection of Box Tree Moth in Cumberland County also threatens the nearby area of Atlantic County. USDA-APHIS has previously detected Box Tree Moth in Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Michigan, and every one of these states established intrastate quarantines that restrict the movement of host plants, plant parts, and any articles capable of harboring life stages of the Box Tree Moth.

All life stages of box tree moth are active in southern NJ as of today, 8/27/2026.

Important information from: Box Tree Moth Quarantine Order for Cape May, Cumberland and Atlantic Counties New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, Approved by State Board of Agriculture on August 26, 2026 – PLEASE READ THE DOCUMENT – This is a ‘Stop Shipment’ level event in those counties.

C. Quarantine area

1. By order of the State Board of Agriculture pursuant to N.J.S.A. 4:1-21.5 and N.J.S.A. 4:7, in order to control the spread of Box Tree Moth the following Counties are hereby quarantined:
2. Cape May County
3. Cumberland County 
4. Atlantic County 
5. This Order shall not be construed to limit the Department’s authority to quarantine additional counties, as necessary, consistent with its existing statutory authorities.”

II. THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following requirements and restrictions concerning the movement of Boxwood plants, debris, and other regulated articles shall take effect:

Restrictions on movement of plant material; Disposal

1. No business may move any regulated articles listed in this Order outside the quarantine area designated in this Order without a signed Compliance Agreement and certification issued by the Department. 
2. A private individual or non-business entity seeking to move any regulated articles listed in this Order outside the quarantine area designated in this Order (Cape May, Cumberland, and Atlantic Counties) must first receive prior written authorization from the Department.
3. Infested or dead Regulated articles must be disposed of within the designated quarantined area (Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic Counties). This requirement is applicable to all businesses, including those with a signed Compliance Agreement and certification.

Regulated articles 

1. Regulated articles are as follows:
2. Boxwood plants (Buxus species).
3. Boxwood plant debris or dead boxwood plant material;
4. The Box Tree Moths at any life stage; and d. Any means of conveyance for the Boxwood plant including, but not limited to: soil, pots, containers, and truck beds, or when it is determined by the Department that the regulated article presents a risk of spreading Box Tree Moth.



Read entire Pest Advisory by clicking HERE.

Please feel free to share this information with anyone who may benefit from it.

NJNLA will continue to keep members informed as additional details become available. Stay tuned for further updates.