NEED ID ON BUXUS PEST!!!!HELP!!! EWWW!!

OK today i was sitting reading near my window and i noticed a sound like water soaking into soil. I went out to inspect and it was coming from my Boxwood 'Green Velvet'. I thought 'Geez, it must be real thirsty to be able to hear the water absorption!' But that seemed ridiculous so i pulled a bit of it off...still didnt find anything but when i held it to my ear i could still hear the noise.
the leaves are pretty much the same except some are dried and curled at the very ends of the branches.
Well I ripped one in half... And instantly felt the 'eeby geebies'!!!

There are yellow/orange worms inside all the leaves!!!!!!!!! They were like worms in an green envelope that used to be a leaf!

HELPPPP!!! WHAT are these and HOW do i get rid of them!!????? and what other plants will they affect? I have a Jap. Maple right next to these boxwoods.

I am so grossed out!!! Probably wouldnt be if i hadnt held the branch to my ear.... GROSS!!! (i'm not usually fazed by bugs just FYI- i'm not a sissy....but GROSS!)

THANKS
NESS :-0

This message was edited Apr 14, 2006 4:16 PM

This message was edited Apr 14, 2006 10:50 PM

If it's not really Buxus, what is it?

Take a sample to your extension entomologist ASAP. And if they can't ID it and you need to do something very quickly, you might apply a systemic insecticide and hope for the best.

Guy S.

Duh, i had it right the first time. It is Buxus. I must have been having a senile moment about having a senile moment. LOL

It is Buxus 'Green Velvet'.

Heres what i found on the net. I think what we have is the Boxwood Leafminer Maggot. But i didnt find out how to eradicate it. Whatever we do we had better do it soon!!

I have some Malathion in the garage, i may try that. I hate to resort to chemicals but i dont know how else to get rid of it.

Advice anyone?

Thanks
Ness ;-)

You need to use soemthing that will penetrate into the leaves. Malathion might be OK at the stage where the adults are laying eggs, but not now. All it will do is kill the other things that have the misfortune to land on the plant, some of which might even be leaf-miner predators.

Since you know what it is now, the extension folks should be able to look up a remedy for you. If not, I'd still try something like Merit that will absorb into the vascular system of the plant. Check the label and see what it says.

Guy S.

Back when I had the good (or mis-) fortune to maintain a herd of boxwood, the death-dealing weapon of choice for boxwood leafminer larvae was Orthene, and I think it was Cygon that we used for boxwood psyllid (makes the leaves cup).

These were two of the worst smelling chemicals I have ever been around; you'd never mistake them for anything else, ever. Check the labels for these before purchasing, or as Guy notes, double-check with your extension service office.

As another plant enthusiast once said, "...maybe that's what's wrong with me today."

Boy, I'll second that olfactory review of Cygon. I used to use it in bark-band applications for bronze birch borer. It's one of those chemicals that really scares you into using all the hazmat equipment! But there's nothing wrong with you that's not wrong with the rest of us . . . for whatever that's worth!

Guy S.

OMG, you were right about the smell of Orthene!
My dog even came over and sniffed then promptly walked away!!
That stuff is horrible! But i hope it works. By the smell of it, it'll kill everything.

Ness;-)