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Archive for the ‘Insects’ Category
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
 The winter is upon us and with it fallen wood and brush in the yard. Perhaps you like to keep a roaring fire all winter long and order in firewood. One thing to remember is Don’t Move or Get Wood out of the local area.
Keep it local. Invasive species and diseases love a new area where they can spread undetected for years, reproduce and get out of control because there is nothing stopping them. If you’re not burning it, chipping it to use as mulch you can bring it to a local landfill as long as it’s in your vicinity.
- Brush, fallen wood and tree wood should not be moved out of county. Don’t take it to your cabin, on scout camping trips, or tell your friend in another area that they can help themselves to your wood.
- Buy firewood from a reputable local dealer. Fly-by-night dealers are to be sent on their way.
If you think your wood is safe because you can’t see any bugs or diseases don’t be so sure. Insect eggs, microscopic fungus spores can destroy an entire ecosystem. You can find out more about them in our Plant Health Index of damaging insects and diseases. Some insects and diseases that pose a threat to Maryland trees are:
The Arborists and entire team at Wood Acres Tree Specialists love trees and hope you do, too,and will take care keeping wood (& uninvited visitors) in their place this year in the Maryland and Washington DC area.
Tags: asian longhorn beetle, beetles, borers, don't move wood, fallen tree limb, invasive species, Maryland, Washington DC
Posted in Diseases, Insects | No Comments »
Saturday, June 18th, 2011
 Since the presence of the emerald ash borer, a highly invasive tree pest, has been confirmed in Howard County The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) has created a quarantine area in Charles (detected 2008), Howard (detected June 2011), and Prince George’s (detected 2003) Counties.
The quarantine prohibits anyone from moving ash trees or any hardwood firewood out of the three counties until further notice to hamper the spreading of the EAB (Emerald Ash Borer). As it is still early in the EAB season they will be surveying the area to assess the infestation and keep the quarantine updated.
There are around 6,000,000 ash trees in Maryland. The USDA has estimated that losses could exceed $227.5 million in the Baltimore area alone if the emerald ash borer were to get a foothold.
Emerald Ash Borers kill ash trees within 3 years of infestation. Signs of infestation are:
- Upper third of tree thins and dies back
- A flourish of shoots or branches coming out the infected portion of the tree
- Small D-shaped exit holes in the bark
- Vertical splits in the bark
- Looping tunnels beneath the bark in the cambium, where larvae stop food and water movement in the tree and starve it to death.
Don’t move firewood, don’t plant ash trees, and call Wood Acres Tree Specialists should you suspect the vociferous Emerald Ash Borer (look for a metallic green insect). Visit our insect index for image and more information on EAB.
Tags: bugs, emerald ash borer, insects, invasive species, Maryland, tree report, trees
Posted in Insects, Tree & Shrub Care | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
 Temperature's Role in Tree & Insect Development Trees’ and insects’ growth and development are dependent on environmental factors like temperature (heat), light and humidity. Because insects are cold-blooded, temperature has the greatest effect on insect development rates.Development rate increases as temperature increases up to a point. In the temperature range from 10 to 30 degrees, development rate changes almost linearly with increasing temperature. At very low temperature there is no development, and at very high temperature development is stunted.
Since temperature influences tree growth in a similar manner to insects, development of the various growth stages in the tree is dependent on temperature. Each stage of tree development requires a certain amount of heat units before growth to the next stage will occur. This measure of accumulated heat over time is known as physiological time. For instance, remember the cool, rainy late-winter/early-spring weather we recently had? This year’s cherry blossom’s in DC went from 2/28/2011 (green color in buds) to 3/29/2011 (peak bloom).Last year’s cherry blossoms only went from 3/14/2010 (green color in buds) to 3/31/2010 (peak bloom) because it was warmer earlier – so developmental growth speeded up – and left us with less time to enjoy the blooms.
For many years, growers have observed the arrival or development of a partlcular insect pest with flower bud or leaf development and have timed the applications of sprays in the spring. This is an indirect use of physiological time. Using these natural timers are most useful early in the growing season when tree growth stages are readily observable. However, making accurate predictions on insect life stages throughout the growing season are needed. This is done by measuring degree-days of the insects in question.
What are degree days? Entomologists have determined lower threshold temperatures and degree-day totals for the life stages of many insects by studying their development in the field and the laboratory. The lower developmental threshold for a species is the temperature below which development stops. The upper developmental threshold is the temperature at which the rate of growth or development begins to decrease. Phenology models are then developed and used to predict various events or lifestages of an insect. This is useful for tree and shrub care companies because it gives a general timetable for when to treat insect pests during the correct stages to be effective.
Mother Nature is full of surprises! If you find your insect pest populations are out of control this season and damaging your trees and shrubs, contact Wood Acres Tree Specialists for a consultation. It takes years to grow a beautiful tree or shrub specimen – don’t let it be disfigured or destroyed in one season.
Tags: bugs, degree days, insects, Maryland, pests, temperature, trees, Washington DC
Posted in Insects, Tree & Shrub Care, Trees & Shrubs | Comments Off
Monday, May 23rd, 2011
 Eastern Tent Caterpillars Eastern tent caterpillars and gypsy moth caterpillars- both are about the same size, hairy, and have bands of black and brown colors with narrow yellow stripes, and blue spots. But -Gypsy moth caterpillars also have red spots and this is a distinct difference between the two.
Gypsy moth caterpillars are not just an unattractive nuisance, but this invasive pest is very harmful to deciduous hardwood trees, like oak. The damage they can do to trees ranges from light to nearly full defoliation. Entire parks have been closed for spraying to try to control their ravenous appetites. Most infected trees will survive a single infestation and defoliation, but continuing damage can weaken a tree and leave it vulnerable to drought, cold, disease or other insects.
The other major difference is in their eating habits: tent caterpillars prefer to feed safely in their tent. Gypsy moths don’t make webbing and eat out in the open.They like to hide on the underside of leaves, branches, or some other inconspicuous part of the tree, or they hide in brush on the ground, and do most of their main feeding in the veil of night so predators don’t pick them off.
Eastern tent caterpillars damage occurs early in the season and their host trees can usually grow more leaves afterwards and rebound.
If you believe you have a serious problem with caterpillars contact Wood Acres Tree Specialists for a consultation with our tree and shrub care division.
Tags: caterpillars, gypsy moth, insects, Maryland, pests, tree and shrub specialists, Washington DC
Posted in Insects, Tree & Shrub Care, Uncategorized | Comments Off
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
 Before you know it your beautiful century-old tree that defined your entire property could be gone. How could it happen right under your nose?: Invasive species. The nation’s forests and trees are at risk from these silent invaders from “out of town”. These tiny bugs cost the US economy $120 billion annually.
Invasive species are bugs, borers, and beetles that come into the U.S. by way of package, shipping materials, plane, vegetable, flower – or any other carrier that passes from one country to another. They enter, too tiny or deeply burrowed to notice, find a species of tree that they like, flourish, establish a population – and have no natural predators. They are almost impossible to eradicate once they’ve reached that level.
Some insects that are on the invasive species list currently:
Want to help? Visit Wood Acres Tree Specialists’ Insect Index and educate yourself about damaging insects. You’ll learn a lot and with your newly acquired awareness perhaps save a tree – or entire forest - before the damage has been done.
Tags: asian longhorn beetle, beetles, borers, bugs, emerald ash borer, gypsy moth, insects, invasive species, Maryland, pests, tree and shrub specialists, trees, Washington DC
Posted in Insects, Tree & Shrub Care, Trees & Shrubs | Comments Off
Friday, October 1st, 2010
 Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Discovered in Allentown, PA in 1996, this insect has now made its home in over 25 States. It was quite prevalent early this spring, and then the unusually dry, hot weather must have helped propel it straight up the charts to #1 on our 2010 INSECT chart.
Reddish brown-black nymphs hatch from light-green eggs laid on either upper or lower leaf surfaces. After 5 nymphal stages, they become long shield-shaped brown adults with white markings on the hind end. If you want to see the adults just look around your house. They are sneaking in for the winter.
Pesticides don’t really work and wouldn’t last more than a few days to a week. Homeowners should concentrate on caulking and replacing screens to seal up those entranceways (good for saving energy, too) – as they enter through any crack they can find. Or, just get used to these relatively harmless insects – they don’t bite. It is true that when you crush a stink bug, they release a pheremone (that some say smells like stinky feet) that attracts even more stink bugs. It is better to help them find their way back outdoors without squeezing them and getting more pheremone in the air.
This year, “Cat-Facing” feeding damage from its sucking mouthparts has been noted on fruit trees and vegetable crops, affecting crop quality. Feeding on hundreds of hosts- the actual amount of damage caused by this feeding varies and the long-term effects of feeding on things like tree trunks is not well known.
So if you see a “Stink Bug”, don’t squash it or you’ll unfortunately find out how it got it’s name. Read more about it in our insect database at Wood Acres Tree Specialists.
Tags: brown marmorated stink bug, bugs, insects, Maryland, pests, stink bugs, tree and shrub specialists, trees, Washington DC
Posted in Damage, Insects, Tree & Shrub Care | Comments Off
Sunday, July 25th, 2010
 Credits (left to right) Lacy L. Hyche, Auburn University, Bugwood.org John H. Ghent, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org Terry Price, Georgia Forestry Commission, Bugwood.org
What is my shrub dying and what are those “pinecone” things hanging from the branches? We hear that a lot in this area, especially in this extreme heat when your trees are already in a stressed state.
If you do see bags made out of needles or leaves on a woody plant that is defoliated the chances are you have bagworms. Bagworm caterpillars make distinctive 1.5 to 2 inch long spindle-shaped bags that can be seen hanging from twigs of a variety of trees and shrubs.
Bagworms prefer juniper, arborvitae, spruce, pine, and cedar but also attack deciduous trees. Female moths cannot fly but the larvae can disperse. Very small caterpillars can spin strands of silk and be carried by wind, an activity called “ballooning”. Larger larvae may crawl to adjacent plants.
Bagworms pass the winter as eggs (300 or more) inside bags that served as cocoons for last year’s females. The eggs hatch and the tiny larvae crawl out to feed. Each uses silk and bits of plant material to make a small bag that protects and camouflages it as during feeding and growth.
Bagworm caterpillars feed for about six weeks, enlarging the bag as they grow and withdrawing into it when disturbed. Older larvae strip evergreens of their needles and devour whole leaves of susceptible deciduous species leaving only the larger veins. When abundant, the caterpillars can defoliate plants.
Heavy infestations over several consecutive years, especially when coupled with other stresses, can lead to plant death.
Should you see these telltale bags hanging on your trees or shrubs, please call Wood Acres Tree Specialists to assess and treat the damage before the stressed plant can’t recover -or its natural form and beauty is ruined for years.
Tags: bagworms, conifers, drought, stress
Posted in Damage, Insects, Tree & Shrub Care, Trees & Shrubs | Comments Off
Thursday, June 24th, 2010
 Sonya Broughton, Department of Agriculture & Food Western Australia, Bugwood.org
It’s a record-breaking 100 degrees F today in the Washington DC Metro Area- and so far, a pretty dry June. These conditions are favorable for the TWO SPOTTED SPIDER MITE to proliferate in the landscape. The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a pest of landscapes and greenhouses. Plants attacked by two-spotted spider mites include: roses, Euonymus, dogwood, pear, butterfly bush, marigolds, cannas, viburnum, chrysanthum and many others.
Spider mites inject their mouthparts into plant cells and suck out cell contents, which causes a flecking or stippled appearance to the plant. Heavy infestations build webs, decrease plant vigor, and can cause premature leaf drop. Two-spotted spider mites feed on the underside of the leaves and are yellowish green with a spot on either side. Females lay an average of about 140 eggs when temperatures exceed 80°F and a generation can be completed in a week.
Sample for spider mites by shaking plant material over a white sheet of paper on a clipboard. Mites will appear as rapidly moving dots and will smear when smashed. Sample at least every other week during the summer. Look for stippling on leaves or webbing, which is found on heavily infested plants.
Temporarily knock off the mites and provide relief to water-stressed plants by spraying plants with a strong stream of water. Predatory mites and other predators feed on two-spotted spider mites, but they may have difficulty keeping populations low under ideal mite conditions. Pesticides are poisonous and some can even cause increases in the mite.
Tags: bugs, insects, mites, pests, shrubs, trees
Posted in Insects, Tree & Shrub Care | Comments Off
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