Remember in the spring we started with local boxwood damage all over the area. You can read back on that if you wish but this is about what is happening now. All of these photos illustrate, at the least, spider mite damage and it’s not impossible that there is a fungal or bacterial agent also at work. That has yet to be determined so stay tuned if we see that in 2024.

As this photo shows, the damage can be general and not too bad at this point.

Looking at this photo, the progression is to a point where perhaps action such as removal and replacement may be needed depending on the owner’s tolerances.

All of these, when you look closely in this photo, look like this.

You are viewing stippling. This is what happens when the tiny mite sticks their beak in a leaf and sucks out a little green sugar. They do it over and over and the result is the removal of green. Note this is very similar to lace bug damage on azaleas, also a wide spread problem today in Morgantown.

How do I know this? It’s because 30 plus years ago, I aligned myself with some excellent mentors. Let me introduce Dr. Brad Bearce to you

I have been dragging poor Dr. Bearce around Morgantown for most of my career and I owe 70 percent of my knowledge to him, the balance to a couple of other mentors like Dr. Jack Baniecki. Note, we are in another very beautiful garden, a favorite of mine owned by Jerry and Sherra Lorenze and from the photo you can see all the boxwoods probably numbering around 300. Following is his diagnosis at this time:

At this point on August 22, 2023, it’s probably too late to treat. We have to be prepared for 2024 and normally that is starting in May and stretching through July when we will need to treat for spider mites. Dr. Bearce said that it is possible here in Morgantown to have an early spring in February and that could stretch this out even longer from February through July.

I will be doing a couple of these but due to my staff limitations, my offer to you is to meet with all interested and teach you how to do this yourselves. Trust me, if it’s easy enough for me to do it, you can too.

Please note that I have been doing this for 45 years and while I am sure this existed before in some areas, it is the first time for me to see this much damage. I’m guessing that its due to the severe freeze stressing the plants at Christmas and then the lack of cold temperatures throughout the winter to kill off the infestation. This is my guess not Dr. Bearce’s so take it for what it’s worth.

Let me end by thanking Dr. Bearce for his assistance and sharing his joy of life with me. We do share the opinion that there is incredible joy in learning new things and being in a field that provides constant change.