By Linda Williams, Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff;
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0665
Have you ever wondered just how much sap can be sucked out of a tree by aphids?
Aphids insert their piercing, sucking mouthparts into needles, twigs or bark, depending on the species of aphid.
Once their mouthparts are inserted, they begin to suck sap and will excrete excess moisture as small droplets of water called honeydew.
By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh;
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942
Numerous tan-colored spongy moth egg masses on a bur oak in Walworth County. / Photo Credit: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages property owners to examine their trees for spongy moth egg masses and determine whether control measures are needed this spring.
Spongy moths thrive in warm and dry weather. Even if weather conditions are more typical this spring and summer, the current spongy moth outbreak — which defoliated a state-record total of 373,000 acres of woodland last year — will likely continue and spread.
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff;
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Squirrels have stripped off the bark of this maple tree to get at the sweet cambium layer under the bark. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
Typically in the spring, squirrels can cause damage to maple trees by removing bark from branches and the main stem after the trees have been frozen all winter and the weather starts to warm up. This fall, before the January cold spell, temperatures had warmed up by mid-November and remained warm throughout December.
As a result, starting in late November fresh squirrel damage was being noted on some scattered maples in north central Wisconsin. Damage progressed throughout December and some trees have more than half of the bark removed from branches and the main stem. The sight of scattered bits of bark around the base of these trees is another sign of squirrel activity.
Continue reading “Squirrel Damage To Maple Trees Showing Up Earlier This Winter”
By Bill McNee; DNR Forest Health specialist, Oshkosh;
Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0942
Woodpecker damage is an early sign an ash tree might be infested with emerald ash borer. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages property owners to watch for woodpecker damage to their ash trees this winter. If damage is found, property owners should make plans to take action in the spring.
Woodpecker damage, often called “flecking,” happens when birds peck away some of a tree’s bark to access the larvae underneath. Flecking is a common early sign that an ash tree might be infested with emerald ash borer (EAB), an invasive insect. EAB is the most damaging threat to Wisconsin trees, killing more than 99% of the untreated ash trees it infests.
Continue reading “Woodpecker Damage On Ash Trees May Indicate Emerald Ash Borer”
An aspen leaf that fell in the fall showing a “green island” due to leafminer feeding. / Photo Credit: Linda Williams, Wisconsin DNR
By Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Woodruff;
Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov or 920-360-0665
Most aspen leaves that fell this fall were a beautiful yellow gold color, but every so often some could be found that were yellow with a green strip on them. Were the aspen trees supporting the Green Bay Packers? No. The green stripe was an indication of the presence of a tiny leafmining caterpillar.
Leafminers are tiny caterpillars that live and feed within a leaf. These tiny caterpillars may produce blotch mines or serpentine mines that create lines on the leaf.
Continue reading “Leafminer Creates Green Bay Packers Colors On Aspen Leaves”
Paul Cigan, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Hayward;
Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-416-4920
Oak and aspen forests with heavy defoliation from spongy moth. Additional defoliation coupled with ongoing drought in the upcoming 2024 growing season is expected to put significant stress on affected forests. / Photo Credit: Paul Cigan, Wisconsin DNR
Maintaining a healthy and productive forest often requires — more than ever before — a working knowledge of how to anticipate, prevent and mitigate environmental stressors that threaten to undermine it. The list of stressors includes drought, impact of forest insects and diseases.
In a recent and timely article, Denise Thornton of My Wisconsin Woods taps the expansive knowledge of the DNR’s Forest Health team and a state climatologist to bring focus to the threats facing forests this year.
She also lists steps that can be taken to ensure health and proactivity are maintained in your forests.
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Forest Health Outreach and Communications Specialist
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
The front cover of the Wisconsin DNR Forest Health 2023 Annual Report. / Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR
2023 was a busy year for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health Program. Summaries of activities and progress can be found in the program’s annual report for 2023, which was published on Jan. 31.
The annual report was the last one edited by DNR Invasive Forest Insects Program Coordinator Andrea Diss-Torrance, who retired in late January.
Continue reading “Read All About It: Forest Health Annual Report Published”
By Art Kabelowsky, DNR outreach/communications specialist, Fitchburg;
Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167
Gearing up for what is expected to be a busy spring and summer, specialists from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health team have booked multiple public appearances for February.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources forest pathologist Kyoko Scanlon presents a talk at the 2023 North Central Forest Pest Workshop in Wausau. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Details on the scheduled February appearances: Continue reading “February Appearances Planned For Forest Health Staff”
By DNR staff
Andrea Diss-Torrance, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Invasive Forest Insects Program coordinator, retired last month after a 30-year career with the DNR. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
After an incredibly productive and meaningful 30-year career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Andrea Diss-Torrance retired on Jan. 24.
“It’s been an honor to watch Andrea tackle forest health issues with her mixture of determination, humor and intelligence,” Forest Health team leader Becky Gray said of the coordinator of the team’s invasive forest insects program. “She will be greatly missed as she starts her next adventures.”
Diss-Torrance plans to spend time in retirement on sculpture, plant breeding and travel.
Continue reading “Andrea Diss-Torrance Retires After 30 Years In Forest Health”
By Erika Segerson-Mueller, DNR Invasive Plant Program Specialist, Oshkosh Service Center;
erika.segersonmueller@wisconsin.gov or 715-492-0391
Japanese barberry can quickly grow into dense infestations in forests, outcompeting native plants and providing ideal hiding places for white-footed mice that serve as hosts for blacklegged ticks. / Photo Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Most small talk in Wisconsin revolves around three things: the weather, the Green Bay Packers … and in the summer months, how darn bad the ticks are.
If you spend time working or playing outside, you likely know firsthand that ticks in Wisconsin are serious business. Because most of us prefer to minimize our interactions with the tiny arachnids, here’s another tick prevention tactic to add to your arsenal — along with clothing treated with permethrin, long socks and frequent tick checks: Rid your property of Japanese barberry.
Continue reading “Don’t Let Japanese Barberry ‘Tick’ You Off”
