June 10, 2026

Box Tree Moth CONFIRMED in Cape May, NJ

Cape May County NJ, with inset of Rio Grande (township)
Cape May County NJ, with inset of Rio Grande (township)

Box tree moth (BTM) has been confirmed in Cape May County, NJ.

An official NJDA press-release expected within days – this PPA post has no legal bearing. 
  • What is happening:
  • Box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis) has been reported and Federally confirmed in the area of Rio Grande, Cape May County.
  • USDA and NJDA have established a monitoring zone surrounding the infestation.
  • A quarantine will be established for all of Cape May County, NJ.
  • The quarantine will apply to ANYONE moving boxwoods out of Cape May County
  • NJDA has an official reporting tool and website for BTM
  • If you see this pest 1) Report it, 2) Eradicate it, 3) remove it (if applicable) following guidelines

 

 

 

Please click the read more tab below for important information
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Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
May 28, 2026

Scale crawlers, updated 2026 scouting guide, IPM webinars, Box tree moth

Educational Resource Update: 

Stay informed

  • Sign up for the 2026 – Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program – click here to sign up
  • Program is free, but registration is required – Registration includes:
    • Site visit to your ornamental nursery/farm from Rutgers agents
    • Delivered printed IPM resources (Guides, factsheets, bulletins)
    • Free pheromone & sticky trap kit + guidance on setup/monitoring (for commercial nursery/greenhouse and Christmas tree farms)
    • Access to live bi-weekly webinars (Zoom)
    • (Next session – TUESDAY 6/9 @ 12PM) – Guest Speaker Dr. Richard Cowles – Connecticut Ag Exp. Station – Scale Management 
    • Every Second and Fourth, Tuesday, April through September
  • Visit the Rutgers Ornamental IPM Website Rutgers Ornamental IPM Website (click here) for updated webinar videos.

Scale crawler emergence predictions throughout NJ. 

Now is an excellent time to be scouting for crawler emergence using double sided (or doubled over – sticky side out) tape. Targeting scale insects is most successful during their crawler periods, however this should be visually confirmed for greatest efficacy. For more information on installing this type of IPM trap and others please see – Setting up and deploying IPM traps – Tutorial Video 2026 (click here).

Common Name GDD RANGE Target Stage SOUTH – Upper Deerfield (NJ50) CENTRAL – Howell (NJ10) NORTH – Randolph NJ (AU137)
MIN MAX START STOP START STOP START STOP
Cottony camellia / taxus scale (soft) 520 – Crawlers (only) 17-May – 20-May – 18-May –
Euonymus scale 533 820 Crawlers (Gen 1) 18-May 3-Jun 21-May 8-Jun 18-May 7-Jun
*Cryptomeria scale 600 800 Crawlers (Gen 1) 20-May 2-Jun 27-May 7-Jun 24-May 6-Jun
*Sprucebud scale (soft) 700 1150 Crawlers (only) 27-May 18-Jun 2-Jun 24-Jun 30-May 25-Jun
White prunicola scale 707 1151 Crawlers (Gen 1) 28-May 18-Jun 2-Jun 24-Jun 30-May 25-Jun
*Juniper scale 707 1260 Crawlers (Gen 1) 28-May 18-Jun 2-Jun 24-Jun 30-May 25-Jun
Calico scale (soft) 714 – Crawlers (only) 28-May – 2-Jun – 31-May –
Striped pine scale (soft) 750 800 Crawlers (only) 30-May 2-Jun 4-Jun 7-Jun 2-Jun 6-Jun
Oak lecanium scale (soft) 789 – Crawlers (only) 1-Jun – 6-Jun – 5-Jun –
Cottony maple leaf scale (soft) 802 1265 Crawlers (only) 2-Jun 23-Jun 7-Jun 29-Jun 6-Jun 30-Jun
Cottony maple scale (soft) 802 1265 Crawlers (only) 2-Jun 23-Jun 7-Jun 29-Jun 6-Jun 30-Jun
Golden oak scale (Pit) 802 1266 Crawlers (only) 2-Jun 23-Jun 7-Jun 29-Jun 6-Jun 30-Jun
Japanese maple scale 829 – Crawlers (Gen 1) 3-Jun – 9-Jun – 7-Jun –
European elm scale (soft) 831 1388 Crawlers (only) 4-Jun 27-Jun 9-Jun 4-Jul 8-Jun 6-Jul
European fruit lecanium scale (soft) 932 1645 Crawlers (only) 9-Jun 7-Jul 14-Jun 14-Jul 14-Jun 17-Jul

*Conifer / Christmas Tree scales

Please visit the Rutgers Ornamental IPM Website – Pest and Disease Index (click here) for more detailed information on specific scale species management and pesticide considerations.

Box tree moth – stay vigilant looking for this pest

Box Tree Moth (Cydalima perspectalis) is alive and well in MD, DE, VA, WV, NY, OH, MI, MA. Please report this pest to twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu

If this pest does make its way into New Jersey, and quarantines are established, nurseries will be required to comply with a federal compliance agreement if shipping out of potential quarantine areas. Please review this document if boxwoods are an important crop for you. Compliance Agreement for Production Nurseries in BTM Regulated Nurseries (click here)

Box tree moth caterpillars. Photo credit: USDA.

Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
April 16, 2026

Farm Safety Needs Assessment Closing May 1

The Rutgers Farm Health and Safety Working Group is conducting a survey to evaluate the priority needs of New Jersey farmers for training and resource development related to safety and health.  As a New Jersey farmer, you are invited to complete this survey by Friday, May 1, 2026. Click here to access the survey and learn more.  [Read more…]

Filed Under: Agrivoltaics, Blueberry, Christmas Trees, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Disease Forecasting, Field, Forage & Livestock, Food Safety, Fruit, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Organic Production, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape Tagged With: ,
March 30, 2026

Salem County Agronomy Twilight Meeting-1 (May 1, 2026)

SALEM COUNTY AGRONOMY TWILIGHT MEETING-1

Date & Time: May 1, 2026 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
(Program starts at 5:00 PM; please arrive a few minutes early)

Location: Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office, 51 Cheney Rd., Woodstown, NJ 08098

Registration:
Call: 856-769-0090
Email: molly.english@salemcountynj.gov

Credits Applied For:

  • CORE: Basic Safety and Handling
  • 1A: Agricultural Plant
  • 10: Demonstration / Research
  • PP2: Private Applicator
  • 11: Animal (Livestock) Pest Control

Topics & Speakers:

  • The 3R’s of Pesticide Use: Resistance, Rotation, and Regulation
    Speaker: Janine Spies, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
  • The Endangered Species Act Changes to Pesticide Labels
    Speaker: William J. Bamka, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
  • Nitrogen from Air to Soil using Sunlight
    Speaker: Joseph R. Heckman, Rutgers University
  • Agronomist’s Field Guide to Drought Resilience
    Speaker: Ramandeep Sharma, Rutgers Cooperative Extension
Filed Under: Blueberry, Commercial Ag Updates, Cranberry, Field, Forage & Livestock, Nursery, pesticide credits, Strawberry, Tree Fruit, Turf, vegetable, Vegetable Crops, Wine Grape
March 6, 2026

ALERT: Be prepared to manage White Pine Weevil in conifers early next week

With increasing temperatures, it is plausible that a critical treatment window for controlling White Pine Weevil (WPW) will be present early next week, throughout many areas of NJ. Factors leading to this post include increased air temperatures and climbing growing degree-days (WPW adult movement and egg laying is around 7-58 growing degree-days (GDD50)), and most importantly rising soil temperatures as this pest typically begins movement with soils hovering around 50F. All of these factors lead to the possibility of WPW movement early next week and growers may wish to utilize a preventative, long lasting residual spray (pyrethroids) to target adults before they begin egg laying.

So we have: 

  • NJ will be within the GDD window for adult movement and approaching egg laying (7-58 GDD50)
  • Soil temperatures in some areas may be close to 50F.
  • Increased air temperatures and insect mobility
White Pine Weevil (Pissodes strobi) – potential for emergence as of 3/6/2026 
Region Location CODE METRIC FRI SAT SUN MON TUES WEDS
6-Mar 7-Mar 8-Mar 9-Mar 10-Mar 11-Mar
Southern Upper Deerfield NJ50 GDD50 0 0 9 13 18 31
High Temp [ºF]  (Average) 49 (43.5) 52 (50.5) 63 (52) 67 (45) 71 (62) 71 (60.5)
24hr Average –       Soil TEMP [ºF] 47.1 <- (This will change over time / no prediction available)
Central Freehold / Howell NJ50 GDD50 0 0 4 6 9 17
High Temp [ºF]  (Average) 42(39) 49(48) 62(51.5) 69(56.5) 74(63) 70(59)
24hr Average –       Soil TEMP [ºF] 40.7 <- (This will change over time / no prediction available)
Northern HACKETTSTOWN G5633 GDD50 0 0 3 3 6 17
High Temp [ºF]  (Average) 41(37.5) 47(45.5) 61(49.5) 69(55) 76(63) 68(55)
24hr Average –       Soil TEMP [ºF] 34.1 <- (This will change over time / no prediction available)
USPEST.ORG – Model: simple average/growing degree-day, Min: 50F – Max: 95F, NMME forecast
Forecast:  7-month NMME based seasonal climate forecast (USPEST.ORG) – Subject to change regularly = Check Often
Air temperatures: Weather Underground (https://www.wunderground.com/) and NEWA: (https://newa.cornell.edu/)
Soil temperatures (10cm): https://www.greencastonline.com/tools/soil-temperature
Compiled by Waller. T. 3/6/2026 [twaller@njaes.rutgers.edu]

 

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Filed Under: Christmas Trees, Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
March 4, 2026

ALERT – Potential for Ambrosia Beetle flight early next week – if you regularly have issues with this pest – take notice

The last few seasons we have seen an upswing in ambrosia beetle activity in nursery production, principally in field grown nursery stock of thin barked trees (commonly – dogwood, honey locust, magnolia, maple, redbud, zelkova, styrax, Prunus spp.). Based on evidence from multiple lines of trap collection data throughout the United States, adult female flights appear to be correlated to consecutive days (2-3) of 70F temperatures (highs) with daily average air temps around 65F (max+min/2). That is extremely close to what we will have throughout most areas of NJ early next week, based on 10-day weather forecasts. Note: this is historically very early for treatment of this pest and it will get colder the following days, however, we have missed control opportunities over multiple years so take treatment into consideration if you regularly encounter this pest.

Consider using pyrethroids in your production areas next Monday or Tuesday (weather dependent) if this pest has been a regular problem.

Contact insecticides: 

  • Pyrethroids [3A]: –thrins (bifenthrin, permethrin, etc.) – Pyrethroids longer lasting residual activity is why these materials are so effective against ambrosia beetles. 
  • Systemic insecticides DO NOT WORK

 

Potential for adult female ambrosia beetle flight 2026

Stay informed:

  • Sign up for the 2026 – Rutgers Ornamental IPM Program – click here to sign up
  • First webinar 4/14/26
  • Program is free, but registration is required – Registration includes:
    • Site visit to your ornamental nursery/farm from Rutgers agents
    • Delivered printed IPM resources (Guides, factsheets, bulletins)
    • Free pheromone & sticky trap kit + guidance on setup/monitoring (for commercial nursery/greenhouse and Christmas tree farms)
    • Access to live bi-weekly webinars (Zoom)
    • (First session TUESDAY 4/14 @ 12PM)
    • Every Second and Fourth, Tuesday, April through September

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Landscape, Nursery, & Turf, Nursery, Turf Tagged With: , , , , , , ,