Pests and disease

Maine foresters say hemlock wooly adelgid is still spreading

smccreary — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 09:58:55 -0400

Last year's unusually warm winter contributed to the continued northeasterly spread of the hemlock wooly adelgid, and could ravage Maine's hemlock trees, according to forest service officials. The invasive pest has been found in 13 towns since May in Cumberland, Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties, and the list is expected to grow.

White bark pine forest mortality has far-reaching effects

smccreary — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:43:23 -0400

A recent editorial in the New York Times discusses the white bark pine forests across Wyoming, Idaho and Montana that are dead or dying after being attacked by the mountain pine beetle and a disease called white pine blister rust.

Thousand cankers disease threatens 'uncontrollable outbreak'

smccreary — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:48:00 -0400

Just two years ago researchers discovered that a sudden decline in black walnut in Colorado was due to a combination of the walnut twig beetle and a fungus that infested the trees by hundreds of thousands, causing cankers and cutting off the flow of nutrients. According to a University of Colorado professor, "based on the patterns seen in the West, such a colonization could very possibly develop into an uncontrollable outbreak.

Continental Dialogue meets October 5-6; registration now open

smccreary — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 12:28:28 -0400

Registration is now open for the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases, October 5-6, 2010 at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. The meeting will feature
talks on curtailing pest introductions, various pathways of spread, the issue of firewood movement, citizen detection efforts, and more.

Worms, fungi wreak havoc on pine trees in Oklahoma

smccreary — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:54:02 -0400

A disease called pine wilt is being blamed for an outbreak of dead and dying pine trees across Oklahoma. Nematodes, tiny worms, get to pine trees on the backs of beetles and kill trees. The trees most susceptible to pine wilt are aged and/or non-native species.

APHIS releases risk assessment of firewood movement

smccreary — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:34:12 -0400

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has just released a "Risk Assessment of the Movement of Firewood within the United States" (PDF) The Risk Assessment concludes that "Movement of firewood is a high-risk pathway for spreading non-native and native forest pests in the United States.

Asian longhorned beetle found in Boston

smccreary — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:03:39 -0400

The Asian longhorned beetle that is threatening many of New England's forests has been discovered in Boston, across the street from the country's oldest public arboretum. Teams of tree climbers and spotters, sent in by federal officials, have begun laboriously examining every tree vulnerable to the beetle within 1.5 miles.

Inchworms eating their way through Alaskan forests

smccreary — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:15:04 -0400

An infestation of inchworms in Alaska has devastated native trees and shrubs, with some of the worst areas experiencing complete defoliation.

Documentary short follows the race to eradicate Asian longhorned beetle

smccreary — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:22:16 -0400

Bugged is a 24-minute documentary that follows scientists, government officials and private citizens who are the front lines in the ALB eradication war. Using medical imaging technology, Bugged shows how the beetle chews through a tree’s vascular system, leaving durable wood resembling Swiss cheese. For more information and to watch the 2-minute trailer, visit http://www.buggeddocumentary.com.

Researchers use virus to combat rhino beetle in Guam

smccreary — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 08:16:17 -0400

As the coconut rhinoceros beetle continues to munch its way through the crowns of coconut trees on the northwest coast of Guam, researchers are fighting back with bio-control measures that will decrease the rhino beetle population.