Industry News

The invasion of the forest destroyers – And how science is fighting back

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 21:40:26 GMT

Invasive species have brought about a novel kind of change that trees in both urban neighborhoods and ancient forests are struggling to survive.

Forest Service scientists are at the forefront of finding ways to ward off these invaders.

New Forest Service Assessment Delivers Research on Invasive Species

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 16:06:31 GMT

USDA Forest Service scientists have delivered a new comprehensive assessment of the invasive species that confront America’s forests and grasslands, from new arrivals to some that invaded so long ago that people are surprised to learn they are invasive.

Scientists Discover Attacking Fungi That Show Promise Against Emerald Ash Borer

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 15:18:08 GMT

Since its introduction, the emerald ash borer (EAB) has become the most devastating invasive forest insect in the United States, killing hundreds of millions of ash trees at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Now, new research from the University of Minnesota's Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC) shows a possible path forward in controlling the invasive pest that threatens Minnesota's nearly one billion ash trees.

Breakthrough in the fight against spruce bark beetles

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 18:45:17 GMT

For the first time, a research team has mapped out exactly what happens when spruce bark beetles use their sense of smell to find trees and partners to reproduce with. The hope is that the results will lead to better pest control and protection of the forest in the future.

The New Alliance Shaping the Middle East Is Against a Tiny Bug

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:43:50 GMT

"It doesn’t take long in the shade of Mr. Ahli’s green fronds to see that something’s wrong. Many of the trees have strange holes in their trunks, and some are so thoroughly riddled they appear to have been sprayed with bullets..."

Spotted lanternfly experts debunk myths about the prodigious, pestilent pest

Wed, 3 Feb 2021 20:34:52 GMT

As the spotted lanternfly extension associate in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, Heather Leach often receives calls and emails from concerned citizens about the insect interloper.

Occasionally, she will hear stories or “myths” from them about management or the biology of the pest, an invasive planthopper that feeds on more than 70 species of plants, including agricultural and hardwood commodities.

Dismay greets end of U.S. effort to curb spread of tree-killing beetle

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 21:15:46 GMT

Later this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will formally admit defeat along one front of its battle against a devastating invasive insect. Starting 14 January, the agency will no longer regulate the movement of living ash trees or borer-infested wood within the United States. This quarantine has, for more than 10 years, formed the cornerstone of the federal government’s strategy for curbing the spread of the emerald ash borer, an iridescent green beetle that threatens to wipe out North America’s ash trees, an ecological linchpin of many forests. Instead, USDA plans to ramp up an effort to control the borer by releasing tiny wasps that parasitize and kill the beetles.

What eats spotted lanternflies?

Wed, 14 Oct 2020 18:45:53 GMT

Penn State researchers have launched a search for native wildlife that kills and eats the non-native spotted lanternfly, which has spread to at least 26 counties in Pennsylvania.

Emerald Ash Borer

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 18:44:46 GMT

An emerald ash borer (EAB) program report was released recently from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Population dynamics of ash across the eastern USA following invasion by emerald ash borer

Sun, 11 Oct 2020 18:43:12 GMT

A recent study found that there has been extensive ash regeneration in EAB-invaded regions, however, current trends indicate that few ashes are likely to survive to reproductive ages.

Bye bye beetle

Mon, 29 Jun 2020 14:47:56 GMT

Have you heard the good news? After several years of close monitoring by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the Asian longhorned beetle has been eradicated in Mississauga and Toronto.

Scientists find genes to save ash trees from deadly beetle

Fri, 29 May 2020 20:29:10 GMT

Scientists have identified candidate resistance genes that could protect ash trees from the emerald ash borer (EAB), a deadly pest that is expected to kill billions of trees worldwide.

Deadly imports: In one U.S. forest, 25% of tree loss caused by foreign pests and disease

Thu, 21 May 2020 20:26:44 GMT

From a deadly fungus that showed its face in 1904 on an American chestnut in the Bronx to a nematode recently found to kill American beeches in Ohio, forests in the United States have faced more than 100 years’ worth of attacks from introduced pests and pathogens. But how much of a chunk are these invaders actually taking out of the woods? A new study suggests the impact is severe, accounting for one-quarter of all tree deaths in eastern U.S. forests over the past 3 decades.

Murder Hornets? Here Are 5 Other Scary Invasive Insects

Tue, 19 May 2020 20:24:18 GMT

You’ve seen the headlines. Asian giant hornets – frequently called “murder hornets” – have landed in North America. The hornet makes for a dramatic insect villain: It raids honey bee colonies, decapitating all the worker bees, then feasts on the helpless larvae. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the hornets can wipe out a honey bee colony in hours.

Washington state now has another bug to worry about after 'murder hornets.' Gypsy moths

Thu, 14 May 2020 20:23:20 GMT

Add another giant bug to the list of things Washington state is working to handle right now.

Fungus Could Help Control Emerald Ash Borer

Thu, 7 Nov 2019 15:51:50 GMT

Canadian scientists have figured out how to hit the tree-killing emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) where it really hurts by employing a fatal fungus that turns mating into a way of decreasing, not increasing, its numbers. Male emerald ash borers infected with the fungus on contact inside a small chamber readily transmit it females during mating, with both dying thereafter, according to research published in the Journal of Economic Entomology.

Read the full article.

Old Friends and New Enemies: How Evolutionary History Can Predict Insect Invader Impacts

Fri, 18 Oct 2019 19:26:44 GMT

Scientists have developed a model that could help foresters predict which nonnative insect invasions will be most problematic. This could help managers decide where to allocate resources to avoid widespread tree death.

Read the full article.

Spotted Lanternfly: Large Potential Range in U.S. and Beyond

Mon, 7 Oct 2019 17:43:18 GMT

As the invasive spotted lanternfly wreaks havoc in the mid-Atlantic United States, scientists and a range of tree and fruit growers around the world are concerned about where the pest could show up next. A new habitat-modeling study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture may not put those minds at ease, as findings show large swaths of the United States and beyond are likely to be vulnerable should the spotted lanternfly continue to spread.

Read the full article.

Ash tree species likely will survive emerald ash borer beetles, but just barely

Thu, 3 Oct 2019 14:06:21 GMT

'Lingering ash.' That's what the US Forest Service calls the relatively few green and white ash trees that survive the emerald ash borer onslaught. Those trees do not survive by accident, and that may save the species, according to researchers, who conducted a six-year study of ash decline and mortality.

Read the full article.

Tree-damaging pests pose ‘devastating’ threat to 40% of US forests

Tue, 13 Aug 2019 18:41:17 GMT

About 40% of all forests across the US are at risk of being ravaged by an army of harmful pests, undermining a crucial resource in addressing the climate crisis, new research has found.

Tree-damaging pests have already destroyed swathes of US woodland, with the American chestnut virtually wiped out by a fungal disease and elms blighted by Dutch elm disease. About 450 overseas pests that damage or feed on trees have been introduced to US forests due to the growth in international trade and travel.

Read the full article here.

Terahertz imaging technique reveals subsurface insect damage in wood

Fri, 2 Aug 2019 16:01:03 GMT

Insect infestation is becoming an increasingly costly problem to the forestry industry, especially in areas experiencing increased droughts and hot spells related to climate change. A new terahertz imaging technique could help slow the spread of these infestations by detecting insect damage inside wood before it becomes visible on the outside.

"Our approach could be used to detect early-stage insect infestation on the trunks of trees, in imported wood or on wood products in an early infestation stage," said research team member Kirsti Krügener, from HAWK University of Applied Science and Arts in Germany. "This could help keep out damaging insects from other countries and stop infestation before it spreads throughout a forest."

Read the full article here.

U.S. Forest Service is helping the state manage the spread of spruce bark beetles

Fri, 17 May 2019 15:23:41 GMT

By KTUU

KENAI, Alaska (AP) - The U.S. Forest Service is providing funds to the state to help address an accelerating spread of spruce bark beetles.

During a recent U.S. Senate hearing, Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen said the agency would transfer $2 million in carry-over funds to the Alaska Division of Forestry. The money is intended to remove hazard trees and build fuel breaks.

According to the state forestry division, spruce beetles affected more than 1.3 million acres statewide during the 1990s. But that area has grown to more than 6 million acres since 2010.

Spotted lanternfly quarantine grows to include Pa. capital

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 00:44:11 GMT

HARRISBURG, Pa. - For the first time in 16 months, the Pennsylvania Department of

Agriculture has expanded the quarantine zone it has established to stop the spread of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive insect that made its first U.S. appearance in Berks County.

The expansion announced Friday has put Dauphin County, which includes the state's capital city of Harrisburg, into the quarantined area.

The quarantine authorizes the agriculture department to regulate the movement of commodities that may be moving within or leaving the zone, which also consists of Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, and Schuylkill counties.

Cool weather can amplify attacks of tree-killing bark beetle

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 13:41:39 GMT

As a warming climate invites the destructive southern pine beetle to expand its northern range,

the cooler weather in this new habitat can potentially increase the lethality of the insect's assault on trees, according to a new study from Dartmouth College.

The research demonstrates how climate change can create a destructive, one-two punch for forests that are already under attack, and another mechanism by which weather can influence the abundance of insect pests.

In the study, the Dartmouth research team shows how the colder fall and winter temperatures encountered in northern latitudes influences the growth and development of immature southern pine beetles, leading to a more synchronized emergence of adults once the weather warms.

Top 5 Damaging Insects Homeowners Need to Watch for on Trees and Shrubs

Mon, 14 May 2018 21:43:47 GMT

When damaging insects attack a tree or shrub, pest control by an ISA Certified Arborist may be required. It's important for homeowners to know the signs of some of the most destructive insects in the Philadelphia area. The experts at Giroud Tree & Lawn share the Top 5 Damaging Insects that homeowners need to look for right now on trees & shrubs.