Congratulations to Wisconsin’s newest Tree City USA designees – Gays Mills, Milton, Mukwonago, and Stratford. The Tree City USA program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation and administered in Wisconsin by the DNR, provides communities with a tangible goal and national recognition for their community forestry efforts.
Urban Forestry News
April showers: urban forests improve water
Urban forestry programs and community trees provide many benefits to the individuals and families who inhabit those areas: improved mental health, increased energy savings, cleaner air and beauty. Another benefit of urban trees, and perhaps a lesser-known benefit, is better water quality. Continue reading “April showers: urban forests improve water”
Lesser celandine is an emerging threat to Wisconsin forests – be on the lookout.
Spherical bulbils of lesser celandine form during the spring growing season. Later they drop off and sprout to form new plants.
Lesser celandine (Ranunculus ficaria), also known as fig buttercup, is a ground layer plant and an aggressive invader of forests in North America. So far, it is relatively unknown in Wisconsin but has been found in the southeastern part of the state, especially in moist (mesic and wet-mesic) forests and along river banks.
Lesser celandine is a spring ephemeral that emerges in early spring, develops flowers, dies back by early summer, and remains dormant in underground tubers. During the short growing period the plant produces bulbils which sprout and give rise to new plants. After the round bulbils drop off they are spread by gravity, water, small animals, and like the tubers, transported when soil is moved. Continue reading “Lesser celandine is an emerging threat to Wisconsin forests – be on the lookout.”
Oak wilt found in Price County, plus prevention steps
Map of the known distribution of oak wilt in Wisconsin as of December 1, 2016.
Oak wilt, a deadly fungal disease affecting red oaks, was confirmed for the first time in Price County in 2016. In addition to the new county find, the disease was also confirmed in various townships in northern Wisconsin counties where we already knew oak wilt was present.
The map in the oak harvesting guidelines was updated based on the find.
Oak wilt is commonly found in the southern two-thirds of the state, but has been creeping northward. The disease was found for the first time in 2010 in Oneida County, in 2012 in Lincoln, Sawyer, and Vilas counties, in 2013 in Rusk County, and in 2014 in Washburn County. Oak wilt has been confirmed in all Wisconsin counties except Ashland, Bayfield, Calumet, Door, Douglas, Forest, Iron, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Taylor.
Read more about oak wilt prevention in the news release from March 21, 2017: Protect oak trees from oak wilt by waiting until after July to prune.
Written by: Kyoko Scanlon, forest pathologist, Fitchburg (Kyoko.Scanlon@Wisconsin.gov), 608-275-3275.
Oil or remove gypsy moth egg masses now
Gypsy moth egg masses.
Homeowners who are interested in reducing gypsy moth caterpillar numbers this summer should consider oiling or removing reachable egg masses well before the eggs begin hatching in the second half of April. Gypsy moth egg masses are tan-colored lumps about the size of a nickel or quarter, and usually contain 500 to 1,000 eggs. The egg masses can be found on any rough or protected surface including trees, houses, firewood piles, bird houses and other outdoor objects. Do NOT scrape the egg masses onto the ground or step on them or break them apart. Many of the eggs will survive and still hatch.
Treat your ornamental ash trees for emerald ash borer this spring
High-value ash tree at peak fall color.
March is a good month to consider insecticide treatments for high-value ornamental ash trees this spring. Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in 42 Wisconsin counties and is expected to be more than 99% fatal to ash trees that are not protected with insecticide every 1-2 years. Many insecticides used in EAB treatments are applied between mid-April and mid-May, and now is a good time to contact a tree service or other pesticide application business if arranging for professional insecticide treatments.
Property owners with susceptible ash trees should consider a number of factors when deciding to treat their ash trees, including financial cost, tree condition and location, the shade a tree provides, its contribution to property values, and aesthetic view. Homeowners should also consider the financial cost of removing a tree that is killed by EAB, and the benefits that a dead tree no longer provides.
Continue reading “Treat your ornamental ash trees for emerald ash borer this spring”
Emerald ash borer new locations in Wisconsin
Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) continues to be found in new areas. Regional Forest Health Updates were not sent during the 2016/2017 winter, so the list below includes new EAB finds from the last few months. Wisconsin continues to track EAB at the municipality or township level; infested areas are shown in green on the map below. If you know you have EAB please contact us with that information so we can verify the infestation and update the maps. If your area:
- is not shaded in green on the map please contact DNR or
- is not shaded at all on the map please contact DATCP.
You can reach both agencies from the menu options when you call 1-800-462-2803. Continue reading “Emerald ash borer new locations in Wisconsin”
EAB parasitoid releases continue in Wisconsin
Releasing adult Spathius galinae for EAB biocontrol.
EAB biocontrol releases in Wisconsin will continue in 2017. Wisconsin first released parasitoids to help control emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) in 2011. Our first releases in northeastern Wisconsin occurred in 2016 when we released the two larval parasitoids Tetrastichus planipennisi and Spathius galinae, as well as the egg parasitoid Oobius agrili. These parasitoids are incredibly small, but they find EAB larvae and eggs just fine, helping to reduce the population of EAB. These parasitoids will not stop EAB, but they are an additional tool we can use to slow the population growth.
Locations in Wisconsin where EAB parasitoids have been released 2011-2016. Map created by Bill McNee.
Written by: Linda Williams, forest health specialist, Green Bay (Linda.Williams@Wisconsin.gov), 920-662-5172.
Financial assistance is available for controlling invasive species.
Looking for a financial assist in your efforts to control invasive species?
The Wisconsin Invasive Species Council website lists 61 different grant opportunities that are available from Federal and State agencies as well as private foundations. The list is searchable by applicant (tribe, government agency, company, non-profit, individual) and type of invasive organism (plant, animal, aquatic, invertebrate, disease). All but one has a link that takes you to more information or a contact person.
Why not take a few moments to explore these opportunities?
Written by: Michael Putnam, invasive plants program specialist, Madison (Michael.Putnam@wisconsin.gov), 608-266-7596.
Eastern tent caterpillars and forest tent caterpillars emerging soon
If the weather warms up a bit, we could see eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) and forest tent caterpillars (Malacosoma disstria) hatching before the next forest health newsletter. These are both early spring caterpillars and hatch very soon after bud break.
Eastern tent caterpillars with pen. Web nests and caterpillars will be small at first.
Eastern tent caterpillar will make a web nest that can often be seen on wild black cherry along roadsides, although they also like to feed on crabapple, apple, and a few other species. Forest tent caterpillar does not make a web nest and prefers to feed on aspen and oak.
Continue reading “Eastern tent caterpillars and forest tent caterpillars emerging soon”