That's where Dr. Barry Bai comes in. In short, Bai is designing experiments that ultimately attempt to find a natural enemy of the damaging moth. If this insect gets to Oregon, it will certainly impact the nursery industry. We have a lot of landscape trees of these varieties that are planted along streets and in parks. The pest can get into orchards and cause damage to the fruit producing industry as well.
Quarantines are certain to be established with an infestation.
In the adult stage, the tortrix moth is harmful only because of reproduction. But in the caterpillar stage, tortrix bores deep into the bark and effectively girdles the tree. That can lead to damage and eventually death of the tree. Pesticide treatments can be expensive and not always effective. Cherry bark tortrix has not been detected in Oregon yet, but it is getting much closer.