Pitch blobs near the base of a red pine indicate attack by red turpentine beetle. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
By Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR Forest Health Specialist
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Red turpentine beetle and pine root collar weevil are the most common insects found attacking near the base of red pine trees in Wisconsin, whether near ground level or just below ground level.
Here are some tips on identifying and controlling these pests.
Forest tent caterpillar larvae displaying gregarious behavior and feeding on a tree leaf. / Photo Credit: Paul Cigan, Wisconsin DNR
By Paul Cigan, Wisconsin DNR Forest Health Specialist
Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-4920
Forest tent caterpillar (FTC) populations do not appear to be making a significant return this growing season.
Spring egg mass surveys indicate that populations continue to remain low, continuing the longest documented interphase between outbreaks on state record, at 22 years and counting. The interphase provides some relief for the health of aspen stands recovering from several consecutive years of recent spongy moth defoliation.
Continue reading “Forest Tent Caterpillar Outlook Stays Low”
Hemlock needles affected by winter desiccation will start browning at the needle tips and move inward, sometimes killing the entire needle. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
During the winter months, warm or sunny weather can wreak havoc on evergreen trees.
Conifers such as hemlock, pines and fir can lose moisture from their needles during the winter. If too much moisture is lost, those needles can quickly turn yellow or brown once the weather warms up in the spring.
Extensive browning of needles on hemlock — sometimes more than 50 percent of the needles – was observed in scattered areas of Oneida and Bayfield counties by the second week of April. The brown needles eventually dropped from the trees, leaving the remaining foliage looking very thin. Buds on the trees appeared viable, and the trees should break bud as normal.
Continue reading “Red Pine And Hemlock Needles Suddenly Looking Brown”
The logo for the Silvicast, a podcast hosted by Wisconsin DNR silviculturists Greg Edge and Brad Hutnik and produced by the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Wisconsin Forestry Center. / Graphic Credit: UW-Stevens Point
By Art Kabelowsky, Wisconsin DNR Outreach and Communications
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
They talked about pulling it, smothering it, using herbicide on it, making turkey calls and making curtain rods from it.
They even wondered if they should just “kill it with fire.”
But it seems Midwestern foresters’ never-ending battle against buckthorn requires a brainier approach.
Michael Hillstrom, invasive forest pest coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health team. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Wisconsin DNR
Michael Hillstrom, Invasive Forest Pest Coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), will present a public talk on invasive species and forest health on Sunday, June 22.
Hillstrom’s talk will be part of a two-hour presentation, running from 10 a.m. to noon at Lake Kegonsa State Park, 2405 Door Creek Rd., Stoughton. It is open to the public.
The event is one of several statewide gatherings organized by the DNR as part of Invasive Species Awareness Weekend.
A worker manually applies fungicide, imbued with blue dye, to a freshly cut tree stump to fight the spread of fungal diseases such as Heterobasidion root disease. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
By Kyoko Scanlon, DNR Forest Pathologist, Fitchburg
Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov
The manufacturer, Lallemand Plant Care, recently decided to remove Rotstop® C fungicide from the North American market.
As a result, the product is no longer available for purchase in North America. If you already have the product and have stored it in an appropriate space, you may still use it as a preventative treatment for Heterobasidion root disease (HRD) as long as the expiration date has not arrived.
Continue reading “Rotstop® C No Longer Available In North America”
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665
You may already be seeing the web nests created by eastern tent caterpillars, which hatch early in the spring and start feeding on emerging leaves as the weather warms up.
Eastern tent caterpillars can sometimes be mistaken for forest tent caterpillars or spongy moths. Check out the DNR’s comparison fact sheet, which includes pictures for identification and control options. Continue reading “Web-Spinning Caterpillars Not Spongy Moth”
Young red pine trees bent over and flattened by the weight of ice and snow. They will not recover. / Photo Credit: Levi Koski
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665
and Sam Blake, DNR Forester, Crandon
Samuel.Blake@wisconsin.gov, 715-216-6396
On Saturday, March 29, and continuing throughout the day on Sunday, March 30, northeastern Wisconsin experienced freezing rain, causing ice accumulations of one-quarter to one-half inch.
The freezing rain weighed down branches of trees. Then, to add to the weight of the ice on the trees, the freezing rain changed to wet, heavy snow with accumulations of up to 7 inches. The combination of ice and wet, heavy snow caused branches to break. In some cases, entire trees broke off.
Pine plantations seemed to be hardest hit, with the tops of some trees becoming so weighed down that trees leaned over and stems snapped. Continue reading “Ice Storm Damage Found In Northeastern Forests”
Going camping? It’s important to remember not to move firewood. Instead, buy it within 10 miles of where you will use it. This will help to prevent the spread of invasive pests. / Photo Credit: Istockphoto.com
By Wisconsin DNR
Camping season is about to enter full swing, and campfires are a Wisconsin summer staple.
That makes this a good time for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to remind the public of the importance of protecting Wisconsin’s forests and trees by not transporting firewood long distances.
Even after a tree has died, firewood can carry pests or diseases — on its surface or inside the log — which can attack or infect other trees. To help prevent the spread of invasive insects and diseases, always get your firewood near where you will use it.
Species in the knotweed complex grow very quickly, causing large infestations on roadsides like this one. / Photo Credit: Randy Westbrooks, Invasive Plant Control, Inc., Bugwood.org
By Wisconsin DNR
With the scourge of knotweed about to gear up for another growing season, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering information.
The DNR has created two fact sheets to instruct general and urban landowners on the best control methods for the fast-growing invasive plant.
