Hemlock Woolly AdelgidAsian Longhorned

BeetleEmerald Ash Borer

CATCH the WAVE!CATCH the WAVE!

Our Imminent Invasive Threats

What is the Risk?What is the Risk?

• Less than 1% of all US species are aliens

• ~2,000 arthropods have been introduced to the US, 95% accidentally

• Estimated environmental losses from alien species: $2.14 billion

• Alien pest insects & mites are responsible for $15.9 billion in crop loss annually.

• Annual losses of forest products from 360 alien insects & mites is ~$2.1 billion

Hemlock Woolly Hemlock Woolly AdelgidAdelgid

What Is It?What Is It?• Order Homoptera

Aphids, scales, cicadas

• Tiny (1/8th in.), soft-bodied,

covered with whitish wool

• Sucks sap with stylet

• From Asia to VA in 1950sEastern spruce gall adelgid

Hemlock woolly adelgid

What Does It Do?What Does It Do?

• Feeds at base of needles

• Causes premature needle drop

• Prevents development of new bud

What Happens?What Happens?

Mature trees can be killed in 4 years!

Feeds on Eastern and Carolina hemlock

Where IS It?Where IS It?

Who Cares?Who Cares?

• Reduced lumber revenues• Diminished habitat for deer stands• Reduced bird and trout populations • Altered plant species composition• Increased invasive exotic plants

What to Look What to Look For?For?

• White woolly mass on White woolly mass on underside of needlesunderside of needles

• Off-color needles• Premature needle drop

Hope For The Future?Hope For The Future?

•Cold temperatures

•Exotic predators

• Insect-killing fungi

Insect Killing Insect Killing Fungi?Fungi?

18 weeks after application (Field experiment 2007)

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Control Blank whey(W)

W + Oil (WO) B. bassiana +W

B. bassiana +WO

L. muscarium+ W

L. muscarium+ WO

Treatment

% m

orta

lity

of H

WA

set

tler

s (

new

gro

wth

)

Sprayed once

Sprayed twice

What is happening in What is happening in VT?VT?

• Surveys: 60 sites in 15 Windham Co. towns in 2008, more in 2009

• Volunteers trained to survey in Bennington & Windham

• Quarantines restricting hemlock coming to VT from infested counties (and within VT)

• Eradication where possible with tree removal and chemical treatment

• Investigating biocontrol options

• Native of the Far East• Probably entered US in early 1990s • Discovered in Brooklyn in 1996

• Eradication initiated….

• Found: Chicago in 1998, eradicated 2006???• Found: New Jersey in 2004• Found in Toronto, CA in 2004• Found in Worcester, MA in 2008, larger area than all

other infested sites combined! New infested areas found nearby.

• It KILLS trees

• Attacks over 50 tree species

• Economic threat to several forest industries

• Impacts to urban, suburban and rural trees,

61% of our city trees are at risk

• Would significantly disrupt wildlife habitat

• Eradication: all beetles killed; all infested trees destroyed

• Quarantine: around all infested areas

• Public awareness nationwide

• Increased port inspections and shipping regulations

• Research: Survey, and biological & chemical control

All trees with signs of ALB are cut down,chipped, and the chips are burned.

In some cases, non-infested susceptible host trees are also removed.

How many trees have beendestroyed to eradicate since 1996?

Worcester: 22,000 and counting

In and around NYC: 7,000

Around Chicago: Over 1,500

New Jersey: 23,000

Toronto, CA: 20,000

• Broad range of host tree species

• Hidden within tree for many months

• Broadly scattered dispersal

• Great chance for accidental spread

It remains to be seen.

• Survey and Detection:

Sonar, pheromones, sentinel trees

• Chemical Control:

Systemic insecticides

• Biological Control:

Parasites and Fungi

Whitespotted Sawyer: feeds on dead & dying

conifers

Asian Longhorned Beetle: feeds on live

hardwoods

Female

Male

• Exit holes

• Egg sites

• Sap oozing

• Sawdust

• Leaf feeding

Moderately Preferred

WillowsPoplarsBirchesAlders

Rarely Attacked

MimosaWhite ash

London planeGreen ash

Rose of SharonBlack locust

Highly Preferred

BoxelderRed maple

Sugar mapleHorsechestnutNorway maple

Sycamore mapleSilver maple

American elm

Emerald Ash Emerald Ash BorerBorer

• Metallic green, arrowhead shaped beetle, ½ inch long

• Believed it came from Asia

• Bores into ash trees, makes feeding galleries under the bark

• Over 50 million ash trees have been killed, it’s 100% fatal

Where is it?Where is it?

• First found in Michigan in 2002

• Now found in: Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Minnesota, and in Ontario and Quebec

What to look What to look for?for?

• Crown dieback

• Excessive sprouting

• D-shaped exit holes

• Woodpecker feeding

• S-shaped galleries under the bark

BiologyBiology

• Adults active from May – July

• Most active on warm sunny days

• Females lay 60-90 eggs singly in bark crevices

• Larvae hatch and create S-shaped tunnels just under the bark

What can be What can be done?done?

• Don’t plant ash trees along streets

• Systemic insecticide treatment in high value areas

• Don’t move fire wood

• Look for signs of infestation