Meghan Peterson, of Haddam News/Haddam-KillingworthNow.com, recently spoke with Kim Syrel to get a sense of what to expect this upcoming spring and summer. Kim Syrel is a Licensed-Consulting Arborist.
Meghan Peterson: We had the opportunity to speak with you about the gypsy moth invasion which plagued our town during the summer of 2017. Briefly remind our readers of the work that you do, Kim.
Kim Syrel: Hi Meghan, it’s nice to have the occasion to be able to talk about the status of our trees. For our readers, I am a forestry graduate and a State licensed Connecticut arborist who specializes in entomology and pathology as it pertains to trees and shrubs. Being in the field of Arboriculture for over 29 years, I consult with people regarding their tree care needs and provide assistance in improving tree health. I have owned my own business in the tree care field since 1996 and I must say, working outside offers me insight into our changing climate and what our trees are going through. There have been more challenges for trees in the last 15 years then I can remember and although trees in general want to grow and thrive, negative environmental impacts like severe drought (2015-2016) insect attacks (2017) and three Nor’easters last March (2018) have led to many deaths of a multitude of trees.
MP: Why was the presence (and impact) of gypsy moth this past summer not to the extent we saw in 2017?
KS: Last spring/summer (2018) was not a bad year for Gypsy moths because even though the gypsy moths were out in extraordinary numbers in 2017, we finally had much needed rains that year. This allowed a natural occurring fungus (Entomophaga maimagia) to kill off many caterpillars in June so they were not able to mate or lay the abundance of egg masses that were found in the spring of 2016. Unfortunately, as many readers know, the gypsy moth denuded many of our native trees within the State but the oak trees took the biggest hit. The mighty oak is not so mighty when we have back to back environmental calamities. It was very sad to see so many dead oak trees lining our roadways last summer. For me as an arborist, it was a really helpless feeling.
What many people did not realize was that this wasn’t all the gypsy moths at work. Yes, they did defoliate many trees but going into the spring of last year, 2018, many oak trees put out new leaves. That was encouraging and personally I thought that if they developed enough leaves, they could recover. Many oaks that survived the combined drought and gypsy moth infestation looked good last spring. Unfortunately as the season progressed two insects, the orange-striped oakworm and the ‘two-lined chestnut borer’*, both opportunistic insects, were at work feeding on all those weakened trees. There was a surge in both insects and it has been documented that these insects have a pattern of following peak years of gypsy moth activity.
So, talk about your triple whammy, the oaks didn’t have a chance. (*The word chestnut in the common name refers to the insect’s past status as a principal pest of the American Chestnut).
MP: What is the status of our Ash trees?
KS: The EAB is here and is attacking our ash trees. There has been much talk of this insect over the past 3 to 4 years and it has been found in every county of Connecticut except the far eastern area, but that will change as it is a matter of time before every ash tree is a possible target. The good news here, and we need some for our trees, is that this insect can be managed. Without being redundant on this insect, the keys points are: If you have an ash tree that is a specimen, you should be treating it preventively. Once EAB has been detected within 10-15 miles of your area, your trees may be at risk. Trees exhibiting less than 50 percent crown cover are unlikely to recover even if treated and should be removed.
This insect has now been found in 35 states and a good part of the Canadian provinces. Just this past September it was found in Nova Scotia. There is a website dedicated to just the EAB and is found at Emeraldashborer.info. (More and more I have seen new websites created for just one devastating insect pest…never had that 10 years ago!)
MP: What are some new insect pests that folks should be aware of? Can you give us some background on them?
KS: There are two insects that are a big concern and one is at our doorstep. I am talking about the Spotted Lanternfly, (and yes, it has its own website!) a very colorful insect that has wreaked havoc on many host trees and grape vines; wine makers beware. In September of 2014, they were found in Pennsylvania and like many of our destructive pests it’s from Asia and is common in China, India, Japan, South Korea. They prefer Ailanthus trees, A..K.A. tree of heaven (an invasive tree in itself), as a first choice but most any other hardwood tree, to include grape vines and fruit trees, are a second choice. However, just like the gypsy moth in abundant numbers, the lanternfly will feed on conifers too! They have a very wide range of host plants. In Connecticut, Tree of Heaven trees are considered weed trees. So, critical management would be to remove all of them because the adult lanternflies use these trees as a first choice to feed and lay eggs.
Spotted lanternflies are invasive and can spread rapidly when introduced to new areas. While the insect can walk, jump and fly short distances, its long-distance spread is facilitated by people who move infested material or items containing egg masses. (This is the same way our gypsy moths became so widespread throughout many States.) They lay eggs on any smooth surface like cars, trailers, campers, firewood, ropes, etc. then people move these items to another locale. The eggs hatch and voila, you have an invasive insect in an area that’s never seen it before. They are hitchhikers of the worst kind.
Lanternflies are similar to the gypsy moths in that they lay their eggs in clusters. Each cluster can contain 30-50 eggs and when they hatch they go through 4 stages of development, with the last stage revealing a striking red ‘nymph’ with white spots. They are not caterpillars, they are what is known as a ‘plant hopper’ and instead of chewing and devouring tree leaves, the lantern fly sucks sap from their host tree, sap being the life blood of any tree. If allowed to spread in the United States, this pest could seriously harm the country’s grape, orchard, and logging industries. The other more threatening insect is the Asian Gypsy Moth, (AGM) that’s right folks, another species of gypsy moth…how delightful.
In Connecticut and most of our surrounding states, we have had to deal the European gypsy moth. So far and luckily, the Asian version is not in New England, nor has it built up in numbers to be a severe threat. Let’s get some background on this very aggressive insect.
In 1991, moths were discovered in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia, Canada. Like many invasive pests, they arrive on cargo ships infested with Asian gypsy moth (AGM) egg masses. They had been traced back to eastern Russia and scientists believe that while ships were docked on the west coast, the eggs hatched and the small larvae were blown ashore, developed and became moths.
In 1993 another infestation occurred, this time in Sunny Point, North Carolina. This was noticed after moths emerged from a ship which was carrying infested cargo containers from Germany. The moths flew into the surrounding area.
Thankfully, both of these outbreaks did not amount to much due to efforts from the USDA and inspections at all ports to examine ships and cargo.
So, what are the similarities and differences between the two gypsy moths? Well, they both love to defoliate hardwood trees. They both look very similar both in the colorful caterpillar stage and the adult stage and they both lay eggs anywhere (just like the Spotted Lanternfly). The European gypsy moth has approximately 250 known host plants but prefers oak. The AGM has a much broader host range including larch, oak, poplar, alder, willow and some evergreens. If the AGM were to become established in our northeast the damage could be even more extensive and costly.
Unlike the ‘flightless’ females of the European gypsy moths who can’t fly because they carry so many eggs, the AGM females are very active fliers. Their ability to fly long distances makes it probable that AGM could quickly spread throughout the U.S. and Canada. In contrast, it took more than 140 years for the European gypsy moth to spread throughout the U.S. from the Northeast to Southeast to Midwest.*
MP: What are your top recommendations for property owners?
KS: Our changing climate and extreme weather events will continue. Invasive insects need to be found. My advice for every homeowner is to notice your trees, the bark, the base, the crown, branches and twigs. These insects are tricky to spot because some blend in so well with the environment. (Ever see a Walking Stick insect? They look identical to a stick or twig.)
Also, have a qualified licensed arborist inspect your trees. The best time to do this is mid-spring and mid-summer. The unfortunate part is that there are not enough trained licensed arborists who have the skills or education to know the difference between a stick and a walking stick, so make sure you meet with someone with a good background in identifying insects, (and diseases for that matter.) Go to CTPA.org, locate an arborist and find someone that has a license number next to their name. Not all CTPA members are licensed.
Arborcaretree@comcast.net
*Excerpts taken from the USDA Pest Alert.
Photos courtesy of Kim Syrel.
