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Do I have to use an insecticide spray or will a detergent like Dawn be just as effective?

Evil Elf
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Timing is everything here. If you can apply a soap and water spray in early May before the characteristic leaf cupping damage occurs then you can reduce the population to a tolerable level if your soap and water can get good coverage where the nymphs are hiding.

Other recommended solutions are:

  • do nothing, the damage is superficial and does not injure the plant
  • prune out affected areas, you would probably be pruning your boxwood anyway
  • pesticides are only recommended for severe infestations
kevinskio
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    I used one tablespoon of Dawn to one gallon of water. They were in adult stage but I killed a ton of them. They dropped like flies to the ground. Hopefully I caught them to reduce the population for next year. – Evil Elf Jun 20 '13 at 16:47