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Boxwood Leafminer: Eating Your Boxwoods From The Inside Out

Resources: Tree Problems

Boxwood Leafminer Larva
Boxwood Leafminer Larva & Blisters On Underside Of Leaf

Boxwood Leafminer, Monarthropalpusi flavus (Schank), is a small mosquito looking insect about 1/8th of an inch long that causes serious damage to boxwoods. Despite the size, adult leafminers are easy to spot because of their bright orange color.

Like a lot of other spring pests, boxwood leafminers are an invasive species native to Europe. They were brought to the United States in the mid-1600s when boxwoods themselves were introduced. Known as “Man’s Oldest Garden Ornamental” and for being a low maintenance shrub, many homeowners have boxwoods on their property and are at risk for leafminers.

Boxwood Leafminer Adult Fly
Boxwood Leafminer Adult Fly

Keep An Eye Out:

Currently, leafminers are in their larvae stage. This is the stage where they do damage to your boxwoods.  Before the adult flies dies, they lay their eggs in the leaf tissue. When they hatch, the maggots feed on the inside of the leaf causing the telltale symptoms listed below. Once it’s warm enough they emerge from the leaf as adults and repeat the cycle. This means if you see leafminers on your boxwoods this year, they will show up next year and the year after that, damaging your boxwoods more and more until dealt with.

Boxwoods infected with this leafminer will experience numerous symptoms and develop an unsightly appearance including;

Boxwood Leafminer
Boxwood Leafminer Leaf Discoloration

Boxwood Leafminer Symptoms:

  • Blisters on lower leaf surface
  • Smaller leaves
  • Off color leaves
  • Early leaf drop
  • Sparse Foliage When Heavily Infested
  • Poor Color When Heavily Infested

How To Tell If You Have Leafminers:

Besides keeping an eye out for the symptoms above, you can check to see if there are leafminer larvae in your boxwood’s leaves. Pull off a leaf from your boxwood then bend the leaf in half until it snaps open. Look inside the leaf, if your boxwoods are infected you should be able to see tiny leafminer larvae.

Species Susceptible to This Insect:

All boxwoods are susceptible to this insect; however, American varieties tend to be more susceptible than the slower growing English variety.

If you’re thinking of planting boxwoods opt for the English varieties such as Buxus sempervirens Pendula, Suffruticosa, Handworthiensis, Pyramidalis, Argenteo-varigata and Varder Valley, which are more resistant to leafminers.


Think You Have Boxwood Leafminers?

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Or Call 703-573-3029


Treatment:

Early spring is the best time of year to treat your boxwoods for leafminers. There are numerous different treatments available for Boxwood Leafminers. These treatments vary based on the pest’s point in the life cycle. Treatments are also based on the specifics of your landscape. For example, a boxwood planted near a vegetable garden will require a different treatment than a boxwood that isn’t near anything else on the property.

A Certified Arborist that follows Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Protocol will be able to diagnose and prescribe the right treatment at the right time for your property to get rid of boxwood leafminers.

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Google Reviews

Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
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Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
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We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
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We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
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Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
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Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
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Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
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David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
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We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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