Gypsy moth Adults, pupa, and egg masses – Photo Credit Jason Brook
European Gypsy Moth is an invasive forest pest that will feed on a number of different tree species including its preferred oak but also sugar maple, white pine and spruce. The numbers and sightings have been climbing over the past several years.
For those members who tap their maple trees for syrup the following article provides a good overview of the impacts of European Gypsy Moth on maple syrup production.
Powerful winds can topple trees and tear up shrubs in the forest. And this can create an opening for invaders, plants that don’t belong there. “Storm disturbance provides opportunities for these invasive plants to establish and spread in new places,” said Daniels, a former graduate student in the University of Illinois department of natural resources and environmental sciences, where Larson is an assistant professor. She said that invasive plants can push out native plants and make the restoration of native trees and plants more difficult. Read full story on NexusMedia.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and partners across North America are marking August as “Tree Check Month.” Throughout August, Canadians are encouraged to check their trees and gardens, or property they frequent, for signs of insects, disease and fungi that harm plants. Read full story on Newswire.
Tree species devastated by blight and insects aren’t truly gone until their genetics disappear. Ron Casier, chair of the Canadian Chestnut Council, displayed an American chestnut seedling in Delhi this week that is immune to a killer blight that descended on North America in 1904. A similar genetic rescue of ash trees is underway in southern Ontario. Click here to read the full article in the Simcoe Reformer.
If you’ve been grumbling at all about the recent cold snaps, the up side could be some degree of damage to Emerald Ash Borer populations… sustained air temperatures of -25 have the potential to bring about a 50% mortality rate, rising to 75% at -30. Read more in this CBC News article.
