Archives

Squirrel Or Porcupine Damage: How Do You Know?

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing squirrel tooth marks on a tree. Squirrel tooth marks are small and look like narrow scratches where the animals have removed the tree’s bark.

Squirrel tooth marks are small and look like narrow scratches where the animals have removed the tree’s bark. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

By Linda Williams, Forest Health Specialist

Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

If something chewed the bark off your tree, how would you go about determining the culprit?

Quite a few animals can damage bark on trees, from deer and bears to rabbits and mice. But the damage from squirrels and porcupines can look very similar, especially from a distance. So, how can you tell the difference?

Continue reading “Squirrel Or Porcupine Damage: How Do You Know?” →

Heterobasidion Root Disease Online Maps Updated

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo of a tree showing fruiting bodies of Heterobasidion root disease at its trunk.

A tree shows fruiting bodies of Heterobasidion root disease at its trunk. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov or 608-235-7532

Heterobasidion root disease (HRD), a destructive fungal disease, continues to be found in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has confirmed detections in several stands over recent months.

The DNR’s 6-mile and 25-mile buffer zone maps have been updated based on the locations of the newly confirmed stands. The most notable changes due to expanded buffer zones have taken place in Door, Marinette, Milwaukee and Pierce counties.

Continue reading “Heterobasidion Root Disease Online Maps Updated” →

Tune In: Forest Health Team In The Media

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing DNR Forest Health specialist Paul Cigan looking for various species of invasive plants during a visit to a bog at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Kemp Research Station

Paul Cigan looks for various species of invasive plants during a visit to a bog at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Kemp Research Station on Tuesday, June 25, 2024. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR

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

Paul Cigan, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) forest health specialist for the northwest zone, recently appeared on the Ventures of the Land podcast, hosted by George Atwell, to discuss oak wilt’s past, present and future in Wisconsin.

The talk included details on how and when the invasive fungal disease arrived in the state, how it attacks oak trees and methods landowners can use to manage the disease.

Continue reading “Tune In: Forest Health Team In The Media” →

Mary Bartkowiak Retires As Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator

Posted on by akabelowsky
Photo showing Mary Bartkowiak, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' recently retired Forestry Invasive Plants Coordinator, giving a presentation on invasive plants at the University of Wisconsin's Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff.

Mary Bartkowiak, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Forestry Invasive Plants Coordinator, gives a presentation on invasive plants at the University of Wisconsin’s Kemp Natural Resources Station in Woodruff on June 25. / Photo Credit: Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR

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

It seems quite fitting that a natively grown expert has spent much of the last 15 years of her career fighting the expansion of invasive plant species in Wisconsin.

Mary Bartkowiak, a Wisconsin native who joined the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2010 and has served as the Forest Invasive Plants Coordinator since 2020, announced her retirement in February.

Continue reading “Mary Bartkowiak Retires As Forest Invasive Plant Coordinator” →

A Wonderful Winter Display: Phomopsis Galls

Posted on by akabelowsky
Phomopsis galls are plentiful on branches of a 120-year-old red oak tree in Clark County, Wisconsin, in 2024.

Phomopsis galls are plentiful on branches of a 120-year-old red oak tree in Clark County, Wisconsin, in 2024. / Photo Credit: Kris Wimme, retired Wisconsin DNR forester

By Alex Hornung, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Plover
Alexandra.Hornung@wisconsin.gov

It is the perfect time of year to be on the lookout for galls – woody growths or swellings on tree branches that are typically oblong in shape and of varying sizes.

They can often be found on small branches, but occasionally they can affect large branches or even the main stem. Galls can occur for several reasons, ranging from fungi to bacteria to insect activity.

One type, Phomopsis gall, can be particularly impressive to see. Galls formed due to this native fungus mostly occur on oak, hickory and maple trees in Wisconsin.

 

Continue reading “A Wonderful Winter Display: Phomopsis Galls” →

Frost’s Bite: How Do Insects Survive Winter?

Posted on by akabelowsky
An emerald ash borer larva overwinters by curling into a J shape inside a channel in an ash tree in Brookfield in 2019.

An emerald ash borer larva overwinters by curling into a J shape inside a channel in an ash tree in Brookfield in 2019. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR

By Michael Hillstrom, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Fitchburg

Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov

As winter’s chill persists, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health staff members are often asked how cold it needs to get to kill insects, especially invasives.

The answer varies from species to species, but many insects are well adapted to dealing with freezing winter temperatures. Some, such as monarchs, avoid the issue and migrate south for the winter. Others, such as multicolored Asian ladybeetles, annoy us with their presence in our homes and offices as they try to avoid the cold until spring.

Continue reading “Frost’s Bite: How Do Insects Survive Winter?” →

Spring Dreaming: Keep Invasive Plants Out Of Garden Plans

Posted on by akabelowsky
Originally planted as a garden ornamental, Japanese barberry can quickly escape cultivation and invade Wisconsin’s woodlands.

Originally planted as a garden ornamental, Japanese barberry can quickly escape cultivation and invade Wisconsin’s woodlands. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Wisconsin DNR

Even though winter’s grip has taken hold in Wisconsin, many gardeners are already thinking ahead to the next spring planting season.

While dreaming of spring blooms and designing your next garden or landscape layout, be on the lookout for invasive plants that may try to weed their way into your plans.

Continue reading “Spring Dreaming: Keep Invasive Plants Out Of Garden Plans” →

Weed Management Area Grant Deadline Approaching

Posted on by akabelowsky
Volunteers at a garlic mustard-pulling event on the Montreal River in Iron County, part of a control project planned by a previous WMA-PFGP recipient.

Volunteers at a garlic mustard-pulling event on the Montreal River in Iron County, part of a control project planned by a previous WMA-PFGP recipient. / Photo Credit: Ramona Shackleford, Northwoods Cooperative Weed Management Area

By Wisconsin DNR

The April 1 application deadline for Weed Management Area-Private Forest Grant Program (WMA-PFGP) grants is coming up. There is still time to apply for funding to help you control invasive plants on your forested land in 2025.

Controlling invasive plants on your forested property can be a challenging and costly endeavor. WMA-PFGP grants help to make this process a little easier for its recipients.

Continue reading “Weed Management Area Grant Deadline Approaching” →

Now Is Time To Seek Out Spongy Moth Egg Masses

Posted on by akabelowsky
Large egg masses are seen on a tree at the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit in 2021.

Large egg masses are seen on a tree at the Kettle Moraine State Forest-Southern Unit in 2021. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR

By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh;
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942

It might be a bit chilly these days, but spring is coming. When the weather warms up, the annual return of spongy moth caterpillars will begin.

There’s a way for landowners to make a dent in the population of the hungry caterpillars: Get out now to locate and properly dispose of spongy moth egg masses, produced by adult moths last summer.

Continue reading “Now Is Time To Seek Out Spongy Moth Egg Masses” →

What Are Those White Fluffies On Trees?

Posted on by akabelowsky
Lots of beech scale, covered in white wool, makes this tree’s bark look fluffy.

Lots of beech scale, covered in white wool, makes this tree’s bark look fluffy. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR

By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665

Last month, we introduced readers to the woolly alder aphid, which is easier to spot in the winter as the insects congregate on alder branches and grow strands of white, waxy material to cover themselves for winter.

But there are other white, fluffy things that you might notice on tree bark or branches as well.

Beech scale, the insect associated with beech bark disease, is covered in white wool and remains on the tree throughout the winter. In areas with high beech scale populations, the beech trees can be so white with insects that the bark looks white, like a birch.

Continue reading “What Are Those White Fluffies On Trees?” →