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.
The Forest Gene Conservation Association (FGCA) needs your help to find trees with viable ash seed to bank ahead of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) impact, and to find trees that have survived an EAB infestation without being treated by the TreeAzin insecticide. We haven’t much time left before EAB reaches most of Ontario’s natural stands. Continue reading →
Emerald Ash Borer has been confirmed in trees in Owen Sound for the first time. City officials say the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry sampled three boulevard ash trees in the 1000 blocks of 2nd Avenue East and confirmed EAB infestation. Read full story on Bayshore News.
