Month: April 2024

UW–Extension Ready To Handle Questions On Yard Trees

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Forest Health Communications and Outreach, Fitchburg;
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

A screenshot of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension web page inviting viewers to ask a gardening question of its staff.

A screenshot of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension web page inviting viewers to ask a gardening question of its staff. / Graphic Credit: University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension

Now that spring has sprung, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staffers can expect questions from the public about their yard trees.

However, the mission of DNR Foresters and Forest Health staff is geared toward focusing on larger, forested areas, not yard trees. Those questions fall under the purview of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension Horticulture Program.

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Dropping The Aphid Grenade On Garlic Mustard

By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR Invasive Plant Program Specialist, Oshkosh Service Center;
Erika.SegersonMueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391

Photo showing that leaves appear wrinkled and less healthy in garlic mustard plants affected by aphids.

Leaves appear wrinkled and less healthy in garlic mustard plants affected by aphids. / Photo Credit: Rebecah Troutman, Holden Forests and Gardens, Bugwood.org

The NR40-restricted invasive plant garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is prevalent in many Wisconsin woodlands, but a new wave of hope is on the horizon.

The garlic mustard aphid, a tiny, dark, gray-to-green insect sometimes called the “grenade” aphid after the pattern of raised blotches on its back, was found in 2021 at the Holden Arboretum in Ohio. It could become a viable form of biocontrol for the garlic mustard plant.

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2024 Spongy Moth Spray Plans Announced

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach and Communications, Fitchburg;
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

Photo of an airplane spraying insecticide on trees at Devil's Lake State Park in Sauk County.

An airplane sprays insecticide on trees at Devil’s Lake State Park in Sauk County. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has finalized aerial spraying plans for its 2024 Spongy Moth Suppression Program, with maps for the six selected treatment areas available online.

The treatment sites contain high-value trees at six state parks or forests in Columbia, Marinette, Sauk and Walworth counties. A total of 928 acres will be treated with an aerial spray of “Foray” bacterial insecticide containing Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki.

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