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| Landscape Alert newsletter | |||||||
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| Vol. 23, No. 10, June 13, 2008 |
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| In this issue Landscape and nursery Gypsy moth, eastern tent caterpillar, forest tent caterpillar and cankerworms Questions about storm damaged treesTurfgrass Golf courses suffer storm damageChristmas trees and forestry Gypsy moth spray window updateAround the home Honeybee swarms: They’re a good thing Blood sucking parasites that start with the letter “B”: Bird mites, bed bugs and bat bugs Blood sucking parasites that start with the letter “D”: Deer flies and deer ticks Fourlined plant bug feeding injury can easily be confused with disease symptomsOther news Weather |
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| The eastern tent caterpillar is easily distinguished from the other three because it is the only caterpillar to make a silk nest in the crotch of small trees or where several limbs meet on larger trees. If you discover a wandering caterpillar, both the eastern and forest tent caterpillars have thick, tan hair and are dark in color with irregular blue and white mottling. Some of the white markings define stripes. The eastern tent caterpillar has a diagnostic solid white stripe down the back, while the forest tent caterpillar has a series of keyhole-shaped spots. The gypsy moth caterpillars are also hairy, but lack the white stripe down the back or the series of keyhole-shaped spots found on the tent caterpillars. Instead, gypsy moth caterpillars have three pairs (one pair per segment) of large blue tubercles on their back just behind the head followed by many pairs of red tubercles. The blue and red tubercles are easy to see on large (two-inch long) caterpillars, but are more difficult to see on smaller caterpillars which tend to be much darker in color. The spring and fall cankerworms can be distinguished from the other three by their missing prolegs and “looping” behavior. They loop when they crawl and are often referred to as loopers or inch-worms because of this. A closer examination will reveal that they have only two or three pairs of fleshy prolegs instead of the standard complement of five pairs of prolegs.
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| Questions about storm damaged trees I’ve received a number of calls this week regarding trees that were damaged by last weekend’s round of storms. Since these questions are typical after our spring storms, I’ll share them with Landscape Alert readers. My tree blew over with the roots still intact. Can I stand the tree back up? The answer depends on the nature of the tree. If this is a tree that was recently planted this spring or last year and the root ball is intact, then you should be able to stand the tree back up. The tree will need to be staked for the remainder of this year and probably next year, but that should give it enough time to expand its root system and become wind-firm. If the tree is a large, established tree then trying to stand it back up would have dubious merit. It is possible for large trees to survive wind-throw after being righted and braced. But the question then becomes, what’s to keep the tree from falling again? The tree will likely have to be cabled or braced permanently to keep it upright and in most situations this is not an option. I have a large limb on my tree that was damaged, do I need to remove it? The key factors to consider here are: How extensive is the damage to the branch? And if the branch failed, what would it hit? For example, a homeowner sent me a photo of a branch that cracked during the weekend storms (see photo). In this case, the branch has three strikes against it: 1) the recent crack looks to be fairly extensive and may result in extensive die-back on the limb, 2) the branch has poor attachment to the main trunk due to an earlier crack and 3) the limb is overhanging the house (just to the left of the photo). For further insights on assessing tree damage, visit the National Arbor Day Foundation guide to assessing trees after storm damage: http://www.arborday.org/media/stormrecovery/2_canthesetreesbesaved.cfm It is important to note that assessing and dealing with potentially hazardous trees is a deadly serious business. If you have damaged trees, be sure to flag off the area to prevent people from walking underneath threatening limbs and be sure to have the trees assessed by a reputable tree service company. We have had people come to our door and offer to clean up our storm damage, should we let them? As with many things, it depends. If the neighbor kids want to pick up leaves and downed branches, that’s probably okay. If you’re dealing with any kind of overhead tree work or any work near utilities, then you should contact a professional tree service. Look for companies that are insured and preferably ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) certified. In some areas “door knockers” will make the rounds offering to clean up trees. Door knockers range from hardworking folks trying to make an honest buck to out-right scam artists. In either case, improper tree work can do as much damage to your trees as the storm itself. You also need to consider what happens if fly-by-night tree service drops a tree on your house or your neighbor’s car. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. A professional service has to cover the costs of insurance, proper training, high quality equipment, and paying good quality employees. To find an ISA certified arborist in your area, visit the ISA website: http://www.isa-arbor.com/findarborist/findarborist.aspx
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| Golf courses suffer storm damage The recent thunderstorms that swept across Michigan over three consecutive days packed a powerful punch to many golf courses. From the Michigan lakeshore east to Detroit, the damage from high winds was sporadic and in some areas devastating. Straight line winds in some areas flattened or damaged at least 100 trees on golf courses, while courses just miles away escaped with minor limb damage. Common to many golf courses, however, was flooding as rainfall amounts ranged from over three to six inches or higher taking all the storms into account. Drought to flood What can you expect from the turf following the recent deluge of rainfall? First of all, you will finally see the turf start to grow, and if temperatures are relatively cool we might actually see some of the spring growth flush that was absent in May. Secondly, don’t necessarily rush out to fertilize following the rain. The need to fertilize is going to be dependent on several factors including the type of nitrogen source that was applied and how recently fertilizer was applied. For example, if a water soluble fertilizer such as urea was applied around Memorial Day it’s likely that following all the rain and now resumption of growth, much of this fertilizer has been used by the turfgrass. A slow release nitrogen application could prove beneficial now to carry the turf through the summer months. If however, a slow release fertilizer was applied around Memorial Day then I would wait to see what type of response is observable over the next week. If the turf is looking lean, you could do another application.If the turf is looking healthy, then there is no need to add additional fertilizer at this time. Finally, all of those weed predictions that I’ve been making over the last several issues might come true with the recent rain. The weeds have been finding a niche during the dry spring and with the moisture will no doubt be ready to grow. |
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| Gypsy moth spray window update Growers should note that for Zone 1 and Zone 2 the spray window closing date for all other compounds has been set as Saturday, June 21. The Dimilin spray window closing date for Zone 3 has also been set as June 21. Spruce, fir and Douglas-fir nursery stock being shipped to destinations outside the gypsy moth regulated area requires a new treatment once the spray window is open. The reason is that gypsy moth hatch is imminent and nursery stock is at risk for infestation by larvae ballooning on their silk. Those who ship nursery stock outside the regulated area should consult with MDA staff for obtaining certification to meet the USDA Gypsy Moth Quarantine. The following chart shows actual and projected open and close dates for application of the two groups of pesticides used for regulatory treatment of gypsy moths in nursery stock and Christmas trees. We are listing the projected dates as guidelines to help you plan your pest management program. Since gypsy moth development will vary by location, you will need to monitor development around your farm. Weather conditions will affect caterpillar development and may effect end date of the spray windows. Growers should watch the Landscape Alert for additional announcements.
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| Blood sucking parasites that start with the letter “B”: Bird mites, bed bugs and bat bugs We received samples of all three of these “B” guys last week. The bird mites were sent in by a woman who found a bird nest in her bathroom vent. The bat bugs came from a client who knew he had a colony of bats roosting on the outside of his home. The bed bugs were found by the client in his bed (go figure) and he reported red bumps and itching (not surprising). The eastern bat bug, Cimex adjunctus (Cimicidae) and the common bed bug, Cimex lectuarius (:Cimicidae) are nearly identical in appearance. I consider bat bugs much less of a problem than bed bugs because bat bugs cannot persist without their primary host, bats. And even though bed bugs are often associated with roosting bats, they can successfully reproduce on our blood and hence persist in the absence of bats. Bat bugs will readily bite people, but this usually only occurs when the insect cannot find its preferred host or when there are so many of them that a small migration occurs. Long term control of bat bugs begins with ridding the structure of bats and permanently preventing them from returning. This can be difficult and the services of a reliable pest control company should be considered. The easiest way to distinguish a bed bug from a bat bug is to compare the length of the hairs on the lateral margins of the pronotum (the body section directly behind the head) with the width of the eye. These hairs on a bat bug are longer than the width of the eyes while these hairs of a bed bug are shorter than the width of the eyes.The following sheet is from the Ohio State University web page http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2105.html regarding the resurgence of the bed bugs. “In the past decade, bed bugs have begun making a comeback across the United States, although they are not considered to be a major pest. The widespread use of baits rather than insecticide sprays for ant and cockroach control is a factor that has been implicated in their return. Bed bugs are blood feeders that do not feed on ant and cockroach baits. International travel and commerce are thought to facilitate the spread of these insect hitchhikers, because eggs, young and adult bed bugs are readily transported in luggage, clothing, bedding, and furniture. Bed bugs can infest airplanes, ships, trains, and buses. Bed bugs are most frequently found in dwellings with a high rate of occupant turnover, such as hotels, motels, hostels, dormitories, shelters, apartment complexes, tenements, and prisons. Such infestations usually are not a reflection of poor hygiene or bad housekeeping.”
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| Blood sucking parasites that start with the letter “D”: Deer flies and deer ticks The MSUE office in Dickinson County sent in a very nice female deer tick this past week, and on a more personal note, I would like to report that the 2008 deer fly season is well on its way. Those of us who are plagued by deer flies have probably noticed that mosquito repellents don’t seem to work against deer flies. The main reason for this failure is that deer flies do not use scent to find their hosts. Deerflies use their keen vision and key in on anything that moves. They are among the fastest fliers in the insect world, so somebody who is walking in their yard or jogging down the road, or running full speed for that matter is really no match for a swarm of hungry and determined deer flies. Wearing a hat helps, they seem to be attracted to hair.
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| Fourlined plant bug feeding injury can easily be confused with disease symptoms |
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| Weather news Severe weather slams region Several rounds of severe thunderstorms brought heavy rains, strong winds, and hail to many sections of Michigan (and other sections of the Midwest) on a daily basis from June 6-9 causing widespread property damage and loss of power for thousands. The thunderstorms brought widespread rainfall to the state, with totals since last Friday generally ranging from less than one inch in far northern and southern sections of the state to more than six inches in some west central counties. While increasing the risk of foliar disease, the rain greatly eased or ended problems with dryness that had intensified during recent weeks. The severe weather outbreak across the Midwest was associated with a meandering frontal boundary and an unusually hot, humid air mass in place across the region, strong wind shear (increasing winds with height), and a series of upper air disturbances moving southwest to northeast across the region. On a statistical note, the severe weather outbreak kept the United States on pace to approach or set a new record for the greatest number of tornadoes in a calendar year. Looking ahead, there are changes to report, as the very active weather pattern across the Midwest is expected to slowly come to an end by early next week. The cold front that brought the thunderstorms and heavy rain to Michigan on Thursday night and Friday is forecast to clear the southeastern corner of Michigan by early Saturday with dry weather expected across the state most of the day. A secondary cool front is expected to move through the state late Saturday through early Monday, bringing the possibility of additional showers and thunderstorms. In contrast to the last couple days, however, any rainfall with the second system is expected to remain scattered in terms of areal coverage with most totals remaining below one-half inch where rain occurs. High pressure will finally move back into the region by early next week with fair and cooler weather expected for at least the first half of the upcoming workweek. Temperatures during the next couple of days will fall back to more normal levels, with highs Saturday generally ranging from the upper 60s north to the upper 70s south and lows Sunday morning from the low 50s north to the low 60s south. Cooler temperatures are a good bet by early next week with highs ranging from the low to mid-60s north to the low to mid-70s south and lows falling to the mid- to upper 40s north to the mid- to upper 50s south. Further ahead, the medium-range forecast guidance generally calls for significant changes in the upper air pattern across the United States with the formation of upper air troughs across western and eastern sections and an upper air ridge expected across the Great Plains. This transition would bring at least a temporary end to the stormy weather pattern across the Midwest and leave Michigan and the Great Lakes region in northwesterly flow aloft, which typically translates to cooler and drier than normal weather conditions for us. The official National Weather Service 6-10 day and 8-14 day outlooks covering June 18 through June 22 and June 20-26, both call for precipitation totals across Michigan to fall to below normal levels. Mean temperatures during the 6-10 day period are forecast to remain at below normal levels, while during the 8-14 day time frame they are expected to moderate back to near normal levels. |
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