A new nasty beetle has been found in Massachusetts. In case you didn't see this on the news here is the info: http://www.massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/asianlonghorned.html
Beetle Alert
What next
Eeeww - did you see the size of those worms inside the piece of tree?
Thanks Patti.
Thank you for posting this! We were told to be on the lookout for this pest a couple of years ago by a DEC forester who attends our watershed group. Your information is excellent and the pictures will be helpful in identifying whether it has invaded local areas. There are many other insects that are threatening the indigenous plants, and we have seen the wooly adelphid on the hemlocks here. - Lynn
Well I sure wish we'd stop importing these pests!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, I guess it's always something to worry about. I was feeling bad for us having the Wooly Adelgid problem(I love Hemlocks), until I went out to a wedding in Colorado this summer and saw the damage inflicted by the mountain pine beetle. It was dead trees as far as the eye could see. I think they said that ninety percent of the pines in this area would be dead within the next few years.
Oh, that's horrible! I love the pines in our area, especially the white pines. Very stately trees.
This spring I found some kind of caterpillar feeding on the needles of my mugo pine. I sprayed with Sevin, and that killed them, but I had to do some pruning, as I had bare branches. I have no idea what they were. Anyone have a clue? They looked black and green with not fuzz.
The Woolly Adelgid have found my beautiful hemlocks. Will only be a matter of time now before they are dead.
Karen
We had those caterpillars on the mughos for years. They are Spruce Budworms and are the creepiest things I've ever seen. We would start spraying at the first sign of them every spring, as they can defoliate a mugho in no time.
The wooly adelgids are creating a big problem at the FDR estate in Hyde Park. The trees are quite old, and if they are lost, will greatly affect the historical venue.
I remember when this was a big story here as it had come to Chicago, not much talk about it since EAB is a larger problem.
The ALB is a nasty little ^&%$# but it seems we're winning the battle with it little by little. There's another beetle called Emerald Ash borer that is even WORSE than the ALB.
Info here:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
ALB info here:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/newsroom/hot_issues/alb/alb.shtml
Thanks, mamacita, for letting me know what those creepy caterpillars are. I will definitely be watching for them next spring and get them sprayed before the can cause more damage. Fortunately I only have one mugho pine to worry about. It's not too large, as I have been keeping it pruned.
Karen
Karen,
The first time I saw them move in unison, I was creeped out! We have since removed the mughos, but the neighbor gets them on his black pines (I believe that's what they are) and since he doesn't spray for the Spruce budworms, they have made the trees look ratty. We'd start watching for them as it warms in spring and would catch the infestation before there'd be too much damage.
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/sbw/budworm.htm
I didn't notice any description of how the caterpillars react when they are disturbed, though which is what drew my attention to them in the first place.
- Lynn
Yes, Lynn, I too was creeped-out by seeing them move in unison. Made my skin crawl!
Karen
I live in a watch area in Mass. They are only 2 towns away.
Chuck