Aug. 10, 2010
Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine Expanded to 43 Counties; Tree-Killing Pest Found in Cumberland, Union Counties
Harrisburg – Forty-three counties are now under a quarantine that is intended to prevent the spread of the invasive, tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer, Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding said today while reminding travelers not to haul firewood between counties.
Redding also said that the pest has been found in two additional counties. Beetles were found in Cumberland County at the Pennsylvania Turnpike mile marker 226 near Carlisle, and in Union County at the intersection of State Gameland and Matthew Brown roads in Gregg Township.
The Emerald Ash Borer has now been found in 17 counties: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Butler, Centre, Cumberland, Fulton, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Somerset, Union, Washington and Westmoreland.
The Agriculture Department has expanded its quarantine to include 31 counties, including the six where the beetle has been found this year and others that are contiguous. Those counties are: Blair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Crawford, Cumberland, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Forest, Franklin, Fulton, Greene, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Potter, Snyder, Somerset, Tioga, Union, Venango and Warren.
“The considerable quarantine expansion was based on the new detections, coupled with new detections and quarantines in neighboring states,” said Redding. “As we head into the final months of summer travel, we remind campers and travelers to follow the quarantine within the 43 counties and across the state to help limit the further spread of the beetle.”
The quarantine is intended to restrict the movement of ash nursery, green lumber, and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, from the quarantine area. Because it is difficult to distinguish between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood and wood chips—including ash, oak, maple and hickory—are considered quarantined.
Redding said Emerald Ash Borer poses a serious threat to Pennsylvania’s nation-leading hardwoods industry, which contributes nearly $25 billion to the economy.
The wood-boring beetle is native to China and eastern Asia. The pest likely arrived in North America in wooden shipping crates. It was first detected in July 2002 in southeastern Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In addition to Pennsylvania, the beetle is attacking ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Typically, the Emerald Ash Borer beetles will kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth inch wide, and fly only from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees. When they emerge as adults, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide.
People who suspect they have seen Emerald Ash Borer should call the department’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-866-253-7189. For more information about the quarantine, contact Walt Blosser at 717-772-5205, and for more information about Emerald Ash Borer, contact Sven-Erik Spichiger at 717-772-5229.
The Agriculture department’s Emerald Ash Borer survey crews began hanging nearly 6,000 purple panel traps from ash trees in 21 counties on May 21. The traps are designed to attract flying adult beetles to help detect further spread.
The national survey is conducted in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the United States Forest Service, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Forestry.
Information is also available at www.agriculture.state.pa.us by searching “Emerald Ash Borer.”
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Trees and this hot dry summer - Water them please!
This short piece of important information comes from Mr. Vinnie Cotrone, Extension Urban Forester stationed in Luzerne County. Although it was written primarily for municipalites, the reminder is good for every one. For more information on community related tree issues visit http://www.patrees.org/.
While on vacation this past Tuesday I watched Knoebel’s staff watering their young trees and flowers and I thought about the PennVest contracted plantings, TreeVitalize plantings, and the spring bare root (and B&B) plantings that many of you have completed this past spring (and fall).
If you have not begun watering this year – PLEASE DO SO!
It is quite easy and inexpensive to replace flowers in your community but that is not the case for trees. Consider not only the investment of grant funds, but community time and effort planning and planting these trees. If you planted trees around your home, trees represent a big investment.
Worse yet, dead trees in a community tend to look worse than no trees.
If communities need help watering, ask the volunteer fire company or boy scouts, or other community volunteers. Homeowners can water trees themselves. Remember to run the water slowly around your newly planted trees. Just giving them a quick spray doesn’t do them any good. If you are considering fertilizing your tree, don’t do it now! High temperatures and dry conditions don’t mix well with fertilizer.
Stay cool, but water the new trees – Please!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
They're Back!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Emerald Ash Borer in Bedford County
Harrisburg – Emerald Ash Borer beetles have been found near Graceville, Bedford, County, bringing to 12 the number of Pennsylvania counties where the ash tree-destroying pest has been identified, Agriculture Secretary Russell C. Redding said today.
In response to this latest discovery, Redding said a state-imposed quarantine is being expanded to include Bedford County. He reminded residents and visitors to use only locally harvested firewood, burn all of the firewood on-site, and not move it to new locations.
“Our survey crews are acting swiftly to assess the extent of infestation in Bedford County and surrounding areas,” said Redding. “As we enter the summer traveling and camping season, the department urges all Pennsylvanians to heed the imposed hardwood firewood quarantine – not just in the specified areas, but throughout the state to prevent any further spread of the beetle.”
The Bedford County infestation was discovered at the intersection of Tannery Road and Route 30 near Graceville, which is less than one mile east of Breezewood and less than one mile from the Fulton County line, after Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff noticed extensive tree damage due to woodpecker. Such damage often indicates that trees may be infected as the birds injure the trees while trying to eat the beetle larvae.
State and federal Emerald Ash Borer quarantines restrict the movement from the quarantine area of ash nursery stock, green lumber and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, and all wood chips.
Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood and wood chips—including ash, oak, maple and hickory—are considered quarantined.
The invasive beetle was first detected in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 in Butler County, and subsequently was found in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Emerald Ash Borer is a wood-boring beetle native to China and eastern Asia. The pest likely arrived in North America in wooden shipping crates. It was first detected in July 2002 in southeastern Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In addition to Pennsylvania, the beetle is attacking ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and is responsible for the death and decline of more than 40 million trees.
Typically, the beetles will kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth inch wide, and fly only from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees. When they emerge as adults, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide.
There is no known practical control for this wood-boring pest other than destroying infested trees.
People who suspect they have seen Emerald Ash Borer should call the department’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-866-253-7189. For more information about the quarantine, contact Walt Blosser at 717-772-5205, and for more information about Emerald Ash Borer, contact Sven-Erik Spichiger at 717-772-5229.
In response to this latest discovery, Redding said a state-imposed quarantine is being expanded to include Bedford County. He reminded residents and visitors to use only locally harvested firewood, burn all of the firewood on-site, and not move it to new locations.
“Our survey crews are acting swiftly to assess the extent of infestation in Bedford County and surrounding areas,” said Redding. “As we enter the summer traveling and camping season, the department urges all Pennsylvanians to heed the imposed hardwood firewood quarantine – not just in the specified areas, but throughout the state to prevent any further spread of the beetle.”
The Bedford County infestation was discovered at the intersection of Tannery Road and Route 30 near Graceville, which is less than one mile east of Breezewood and less than one mile from the Fulton County line, after Department of Conservation and Natural Resources staff noticed extensive tree damage due to woodpecker. Such damage often indicates that trees may be infected as the birds injure the trees while trying to eat the beetle larvae.
State and federal Emerald Ash Borer quarantines restrict the movement from the quarantine area of ash nursery stock, green lumber and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, and all wood chips.
Due to the difficulty in distinguishing between species of hardwood firewood, all hardwood firewood and wood chips—including ash, oak, maple and hickory—are considered quarantined.
The invasive beetle was first detected in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 in Butler County, and subsequently was found in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Emerald Ash Borer is a wood-boring beetle native to China and eastern Asia. The pest likely arrived in North America in wooden shipping crates. It was first detected in July 2002 in southeastern Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In addition to Pennsylvania, the beetle is attacking ash trees in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin, and is responsible for the death and decline of more than 40 million trees.
Typically, the beetles will kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth inch wide, and fly only from early May until September. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees. When they emerge as adults, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide.
There is no known practical control for this wood-boring pest other than destroying infested trees.
People who suspect they have seen Emerald Ash Borer should call the department’s toll-free pest hotline at 1-866-253-7189. For more information about the quarantine, contact Walt Blosser at 717-772-5205, and for more information about Emerald Ash Borer, contact Sven-Erik Spichiger at 717-772-5229.
The Pennsylvania Agriculture Department Emerald Ash Borer survey crews will begin hanging nearly 6,000 purple panel traps from ash trees Friday, May 21, in 21 counties. The traps are designed to attract flying adult beetles to help detect further spread. Crews will remove the traps by the end of August.
The national survey is being conducted in cooperation with U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the U.S. Forest Service and DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry.
Information is also available at http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/ by searching “Emerald Ash Borer.”
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Educational Opportunity to Help Manage Woodlands
Penn State Cooperative Extension is offering "Sustainable Forestry I: An Introduction to Forest Management" in June. This is a lecture and field-based course where woodland owners will learn basic tenets and techniques to successfully and sustainably managing their woodlands. This is a two-part course being offered in two locations. In order to complete the course, attendance is required at two evening sessions. The first two-day session will be offered Wednesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 9 from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Laurel Haven Education Center in Julian (Centre County). The second two-day session will be offered Wednesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 23 at the Mt. Pisgah State Park Nature Center, near West Burlington (Bradford County). The cost for the Sustainable Forestry I course is $20 per person. Registration is due May 28. For more information contact David Jackson (Penn State Cooperative Extension Centre County) drj11@psu.edu, (814) 355-4897 or Bob Hansen (Penn State Cooperative Extension Bradford County) rsh7@psu.edu, (570) 265-2896. For a registration brochure go to the Bradford County Cooperative Extension Website. Sustainable Forestry II will be offered in the future.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Pathogen Causing Sudden Oak Death Found in PA Nursery
The following information was provided by Dr. Gary Moorman, Professor of Plant Pathology at Penn State University.
On Feb. 18, 2010 the Penn State Plant Disease Clinic received a sample of Laurus nobilis, known commonly as bay laurel, true laurel, sweet bay, laurel tree, Grecian laurel, or bay tree. Some people use its leaves in cooking. The tips of the leaves submitted were dead or dying and it was reported by the grower that 95% of well rooted plants in 12 or so flats exhibited the symptoms. The United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) confirmed the plants to be infected with Phytophthora ramorum, the Sudden Oak Death pathogen known to occur in trees and shrubs on the west coast of the U.S. and in Europe. The sample came from a commercial, primarily wholesale, greenhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. Phytophthora ramorum can infect many important ornamental trees and shrubs under the right conditions. There is a great deal of concern that this fungus-like organism could cause significant economic damage to eastern forests and landscapes if not excluded from the region.
The’ bay laurel’ submitted was not Umbelluiaria californica, the California bay or California bay laurel that grows on the west coast and is a major host of Phytophthora ramorum that then spreads to oaks. However, Laurus nobilis is known to be a host of Ph. ramorum.
The actual source of the Ph. ramorum in Pennsylvania is still under investigation and is very much in question. The infected plants had been grown in Pennsylvania from seed obtained from a source in California. As yet, there are no known cases of Ph. ramorum being seedborne. I learned recently that the ‘seed’ is sometimes received not as cleaned seed but as seed still in the drupe (fruit). That raises the possibility that the pathogen may have been in parts of the fruit other than the actual seed. It is also possible that the pathogen was infecting other plants in the greenhouse and spread to the Laurus. APHIS is doing ‘trace backward’ investigations to determine where the pathogen may have come from and ‘trace forwards’ to determine whether various plants sold by the Pennsylvania greenhouse are carrying the pathogen.
SO WHAT YOU SAY!!
Phytophthora ramorum has, to date, been excluded from the eastern U.S. but this occurrence may indicate that the plant pathogen is now or will soon be in the region from multiple sources. In 2009, Laurus nobilis was named as the Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association (IHA). Laurus nobilis seed can be purchased from a number of sources including through Amazon.com. Web information indicates that the seed is difficult to germinate. It is my understanding that people have been encouraged to grow this plant and that it has been used in various Master Gardener projects. If seed or tissue associated with seed is actually the source of the pathogen, it is possible that Phytophthora ramorum has arrived in the east with seed purchased by backyard gardeners, etc. Where is the ‘failed to germinate’ material discarded? Where are plants with dying leaf tips discarded?
If you are presented with Laurus nobilis plants with dead or dying leaf tips or entire plants dead or dying… those symptoms may be caused by:
too much water
too little water
too much fertilizer
chilling or freeze damage
Phytophthora ramorum infection
Send a sample to the Plant Disease Clinic after filling out the Clinic form obtained at the county Cooperative Extension office (also attached). Please put the plant or plant parts in a clean Ziploc or similar bag with a DRY paper towel. Place that bag inside another bag with the clinic form OUTSIDE both bags. Put the bagged sample and form either in a padded envelop or a cardboard box. Use overnight delivery OR mail it early in the week so that it arrives in the clinic promptly and does not sit in a post office over a weekend. If that requires holding the sample a day or two, then put the packaged sample in a refrigerator (not freezer) or in a cool place out of direct sunlight until it can be sent.
On Feb. 18, 2010 the Penn State Plant Disease Clinic received a sample of Laurus nobilis, known commonly as bay laurel, true laurel, sweet bay, laurel tree, Grecian laurel, or bay tree. Some people use its leaves in cooking. The tips of the leaves submitted were dead or dying and it was reported by the grower that 95% of well rooted plants in 12 or so flats exhibited the symptoms. The United States Department of Agriculture-Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) confirmed the plants to be infected with Phytophthora ramorum, the Sudden Oak Death pathogen known to occur in trees and shrubs on the west coast of the U.S. and in Europe. The sample came from a commercial, primarily wholesale, greenhouse in eastern Pennsylvania. Phytophthora ramorum can infect many important ornamental trees and shrubs under the right conditions. There is a great deal of concern that this fungus-like organism could cause significant economic damage to eastern forests and landscapes if not excluded from the region.
The’ bay laurel’ submitted was not Umbelluiaria californica, the California bay or California bay laurel that grows on the west coast and is a major host of Phytophthora ramorum that then spreads to oaks. However, Laurus nobilis is known to be a host of Ph. ramorum.
The actual source of the Ph. ramorum in Pennsylvania is still under investigation and is very much in question. The infected plants had been grown in Pennsylvania from seed obtained from a source in California. As yet, there are no known cases of Ph. ramorum being seedborne. I learned recently that the ‘seed’ is sometimes received not as cleaned seed but as seed still in the drupe (fruit). That raises the possibility that the pathogen may have been in parts of the fruit other than the actual seed. It is also possible that the pathogen was infecting other plants in the greenhouse and spread to the Laurus. APHIS is doing ‘trace backward’ investigations to determine where the pathogen may have come from and ‘trace forwards’ to determine whether various plants sold by the Pennsylvania greenhouse are carrying the pathogen.
SO WHAT YOU SAY!!
Phytophthora ramorum has, to date, been excluded from the eastern U.S. but this occurrence may indicate that the plant pathogen is now or will soon be in the region from multiple sources. In 2009, Laurus nobilis was named as the Herb of the Year by the International Herb Association (IHA). Laurus nobilis seed can be purchased from a number of sources including through Amazon.com. Web information indicates that the seed is difficult to germinate. It is my understanding that people have been encouraged to grow this plant and that it has been used in various Master Gardener projects. If seed or tissue associated with seed is actually the source of the pathogen, it is possible that Phytophthora ramorum has arrived in the east with seed purchased by backyard gardeners, etc. Where is the ‘failed to germinate’ material discarded? Where are plants with dying leaf tips discarded?
If you are presented with Laurus nobilis plants with dead or dying leaf tips or entire plants dead or dying… those symptoms may be caused by:
too much water
too little water
too much fertilizer
chilling or freeze damage
Phytophthora ramorum infection
Send a sample to the Plant Disease Clinic after filling out the Clinic form obtained at the county Cooperative Extension office (also attached). Please put the plant or plant parts in a clean Ziploc or similar bag with a DRY paper towel. Place that bag inside another bag with the clinic form OUTSIDE both bags. Put the bagged sample and form either in a padded envelop or a cardboard box. Use overnight delivery OR mail it early in the week so that it arrives in the clinic promptly and does not sit in a post office over a weekend. If that requires holding the sample a day or two, then put the packaged sample in a refrigerator (not freezer) or in a cool place out of direct sunlight until it can be sent.
Monday, January 18, 2010
2010 Woodland Owners Conference Registration
Registration information for the 2010 Woodland Owners' Conference is now available on the Bradford County Extension website. Navigate to the upcoming programs section and click on 2010 Woodland Owners Conference. The conference is scheduled for Saturday, March 6 at the Pennsylvania College of Technology. visit the site for the brochure. If you are on the Susquehanna Woodlands eNewsletter list, you will be receiving an electronic brochure soon. I may be prejudiced but it looks like good information to me!
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