Forest Health News

Reminders About Spongy Moth Quarantine

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By Meg Sanders, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection;
MeganT.Sanders@wisconsin.gov or 715-891-8158

The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) to enforce a spongy moth quarantine in Wisconsin, with the goal of limiting the spread of the spongy moth to new, uninfested areas.

The quarantine now covers 53 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. The quarantine regulates woody nursery stock, Christmas trees, firewood, logs and outdoor household items. Quarantine regulations apply to businesses and private citizens.

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Spongy Moth Status Update

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

A photo showing several trees with spongy moth defoliation in Marinette County in mid-June 2024.

Spongy moth defoliation in Marinette County in mid-June 2024. / Photo Credit: Darrek Sams, Wisconsin DNR

As of early July, we have seen a mix of live and dead caterpillars and tree defoliation that is typical of a late-stage spongy moth outbreak. Reports of defoliation have been received as far north as Florence County.

Recent aerial surveys in southern Wisconsin spotted defoliation in the same general areas as in 2023, but the defoliation has generally been less intense this year. Information for northern Wisconsin has yet to be made available. Refoliating oaks, growing a second set of pale-looking leaves, were seen in Walworth County in early July.

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‘Cicadapalooza’ Makes Noise In Lake Geneva

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Photo showing dozens of recently emerged cicadas rest on a tree trunk at Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva on May 30, 2024.

Dozens of recently emerged cicadas rest on a tree trunk at Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva on May 30, 2024. / Photo Credit: Sarah Wolski, Wisconsin DNR

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

Brood XIII periodical cicadas apparently love Lake Geneva. The Wisconsin hotspot for Brood XIII has again been the resort city of Lake Geneva, located just a few miles from the Illinois border. It experienced Wisconsin’s first emergence of the insects’ latest 17-year cycle on May 17. Cicadas remained active – noisily so – through late June.

The city of Lake Geneva, joined by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Entomology department, celebrated the insects’ return with Cicadapalooza, a family-friendly, free pop-up event on June 8 that included guided walking tours, presentations by UW-Madison entomologists, cicada merchandise, food and more.

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Pruning Can Control White Pine Blister Rust

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

Eastern white pines (Pinus strobus) can be beautiful trees in urban and forested areas (they can tower above the rest of the forest’s trees), but they can also attract a deadly disease.

White pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), also known as WPBR, is a fungus that can attack branches and the main stem of white pine, causing cankers that continue to grow each year and creating dead spots that can girdle branches or the main stem. Damage from a girdling canker may take years to become severe enough to cause tree decline and mortality. That means you may be able to help your trees and prevent mortality.

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Best Disposal Methods For Garlic Mustard

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

Summer can be prime time for invasive plant control, with garlic mustard pulls and many other plant- or location-specific events taking place to confront invasive plants head-on.

Wanting to do your best to help, you might pull garlic mustard along your local hiking trail. But what should you do after you pull it?

Read on for invasive plant disposal tips to ensure you don’t inadvertently do more harm than good with your control efforts.

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Invasives Get The Spotlight On Madison TV

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

The fight against invasive plant species in Wisconsin’s forests, woods and natural areas got a big boost over the airwaves in June.

WISC-TV (Channel 3 in Madison) produced a news feature on invasives that included an interview and tour with Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) invasive plant specialist and Natural Heritage Conservation representative Mackenzie Manicki.

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Spongy Moth Egg Mass Surveying Video Released

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

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health team joined with the DNR Office of Communications to produce an instructional video aimed at helping large landowners and land managers in the fight against spongy moth.

The video, less than 2 minutes in length, shows how to conduct a survey of spongy moth egg masses in the fall. With that information, people can predict how much damage to expect from the caterpillars in the spring, giving them time to make advance plans for the most effective control options.

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DNR Debuts Fact Sheet On Twolined Chestnut Borer

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

The Wisconsin Department of Resources (DNR) has debuted a new Forest Health fact sheet on twolined chestnut borer (Agrilus bilineatus), a native beetle that attacks already weakened oaks in Wisconsin.

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Weather Whiplash Affects Pine Stands

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Swath of dead pine due to high water table mortality

A swath of pine dead due to high water table mortality in 2020 in northeast Wisconsin.

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

Many pine stands across central and northeast Wisconsin are being impacted by the change from high levels of precipitation to extreme drought that has occurred over the last 5-7 years.

Drastic or sudden changes can be particularly stressful to trees of all species, but especially to pine stands that prefer well-drained soil types.

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Watch For Spongy Moth Caterpillar Diseases

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

With this spring’s weather bringing above-average rainfall across most of Wisconsin, we will likely see moderate to heavy mortality of spongy moth caterpillars at many locations this summer.

Last year, the statewide May-June period was the third-driest since recordkeeping began in the late 1800s, according to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. As a result, the effectiveness of the caterpillar-killing fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga, was limited. Spring 2024 is noticeably wetter, and thus, increased effectiveness of E. maimaiga is likely.

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