Statewide Forest Health

New forest health specialist for Central Zone

Posted on by Ellen Clark
New forest health specialist Alex Feltmeyer in woods.

New forest health specialist Alex Feltmeyer. Photo by Mike Hillstrom.

Alexandra (Alex) Feltmeyer started October 15, 2018 as the Forest Health Specialist for the Central Zone (Adams, Green Lake, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Menominee, Oconto, Portage, Shawano, Taylor, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood counties). Alex will be stationed at the Plover Ranger Station and will start making connections with the foresters and partners in her zone right away. Her contact information is Alexandra.Feltmeyer@wisconsin.gov and 715-340-3810.

As a reminder, the DNR forest health specialists are available to diagnose and provide management recommendations for forest health concerns such as insect, disease and weather-related damage on forested properties in Wisconsin. The forest health specialists are also available to give presentations and trainings on current insect and disease concerns and management guidelines. For a full list of forest health program staff and the counties they cover, please visit https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/ForestHealth.

Public comment period for HRD treatment guidelines revision closes October 16

Posted on by jodieellis

A fruiting body of Heterobasidion irregulare at the base of a pine tree.

By Kyoko Scanlon, forest pathologist, Fitchburg. Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov; 608-235-7532

Wisconsin DNR is seeking public comments on a proposed revision to preventative treatment guidelines for Heterobasidion root disease (HRD). Stand-level HRD treatment guidelines were originally released in 2013. A DNR technical team and stakeholder advisory committee proposed a revised version using recent research findings, operational experience, and economic considerations.

The draft document and information about the public comment process can be found at  https://dnr.wi.gov/news/input/Guidance.html#open through Tuesday, October 16, 2018. All comments must be submitted by that date.

Leaf-browning on white and burr oaks

Posted on by jodieellis

By Mike Hillstrom, forest health specialist, Fitchburg. Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov; 608-513-7690

Dying leaves on white oak. Photo: Mike Hillstrom.

Dying leaves on white oak. Photo: Mike Hillstrom.

During late August and September of this year, Forest Health staff received several comments about problems with white and burr oaks. Leaves on affected trees turned brown, curled and died prematurely. Some trees were almost completely affected, while others only mildly. Symptoms varied widely between trees, even between those located next to each other. After examining several samples, the DNR Forest Health Lab concluded that damage was likely caused by fungal leaf pathogens and the twig canker fungus Botryosphaeria. Because the damage occurred late in the growing season, afflicted trees will not likely suffer major impacts. Although Botryosphaeria can cause twig dieback, oak trees usually recover without long-term problems. Continue reading “Leaf-browning on white and burr oaks” →

Return of Asian multicolored ladybugs

Posted on by jodieellis

By Linda Williams, forest health specialist, Woodruff. Linda.Williams@wisconsin.gov; 920-360-0665

Multicolored Asian ladybeetles, true to their name, come in a range of colors, from orange to red, with a variety of spot sizes and numbers.

Multicolored Asian ladybeetles, true to their name, come in a range of colors, from orange to red, with a variety of spot sizes and numbers. Photo: Linda Williams

Multicolored Asian ladybeetles are not native to Wisconsin. Although there are numerous native ladybugs in the state, only the Asian variety are known to aggregate in buildings in the fall and become nuisances. Continue reading “Return of Asian multicolored ladybugs” →

Public comment period for EAB silviculture guidelines revision closes October 9

Posted on by jodieellis

By Bill McNee, forest health specialist, Oshkosh. Bill.McNee@wisconsin.gov; 920-360-0942

Ash trees dying from an EAB infestation. Photo: Troy Kimoto, Bugwood.org

Ash trees dying from an EAB infestation. Photo: Troy Kimoto, Bugwood.org

The Wisconsin DNR is seeking public comments on a proposed revision to silviculture guidelines for emerald ash borer (EAB). Stand-level EAB silviculture guidelines were originally released in 2007, with periodic reviews and updates. A DNR technical team and stakeholder advisory committee prepared the current version using multiple sources of information, including recent research findings, identification and locations of new EAB infestations, economic considerations, and experience gained from implementing previous versions of the guidelines.

The draft document and information about the public comment process can be found at  https://dnr.wi.gov/news/input/Guidance.html#open through Tuesday, October 9, 2018. All comments must be submitted by that date.

Requiem for an Ash

Posted on by Ellen Clark

The front moves and defenses are built, but there’s no doubt which way the war is going, and little doubt what is emerging the victor: a little green bug.

Agrilus planipennis, the emerald ash borer, has harangued and harassed North American forests since the late 1990s, and its journey across Wisconsin continues, county by county, city by city, tree by tree. But this is not its story. Continue reading “Requiem for an Ash” →

Look for gypsy moth egg masses

Posted on by jodieellis

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

Gypsy moth egg masses. Photo: Bill McNee

Fall is an excellent time to look for and dispose of gypsy moth egg masses produced by adult moths this summer. Gypsy moth egg masses are felt-like, tan-colored patches about the size of a nickel or quarter that gypsy moth females deposit in protected places. Surveying for egg masses helps property owners predict how high populations of the insect will be during the subsequent spring and summer. Since egg masses usually don’t hatch until April, information gained from fall/winter surveys can be used to mitigate gypsy moth damage before the following season.  Continue reading “Look for gypsy moth egg masses” →

Tree decline and mortality observed at many wet sites this summer

Posted on by jodieellis

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

An aerial view of tree mortality in very wet areas. Photo: Bill McNee

An aerial view of tree mortality in very wet areas. Photo: Bill McNee

Site visits and aerial surveys conducted on trees in eastern Wisconsin by the Wisconsin DNR forest health team in July and August found multi-species decline and mortality common at many very wet sites. Continue reading “Tree decline and mortality observed at many wet sites this summer” →

Oak leaf fold galls and itch mites

Posted on by jodieellis

by Mike Hillstrom, forest health specialist (Fitchburg). Michael.Hillstrom@wisconsin.gov;
208-513-7690

Oak leaf fold galls on red oak leaves. Photo: Mike Hillstrom

Oak leaf fold galls on red oak leaves. Photo: Mike Hillstrom

Ethan Lee, parks supervisor for the City of Janesville, recently reported symptoms of oak leaf fold galls on an oak tree on the University of Wisconsin – Rock County campus. Oak leaf fold galls, caused by fly larvae, are generally harmless to trees. However, new information links oak leaf galls with a recent invasive mite from Europe, Pyemotes herfsi, commonly called the oak leaf itch mite. Although no evidence of itch mite was found on the affected red oak tree, more than 50% of the tree’s leaves contained leaf fold galls. Continue reading “Oak leaf fold galls and itch mites” →

Be on the lookout for beech leaf disease

Posted on by jodieellis

By Kyoko Scanlon, forest pathologist, Fitchburg. Kyoko.Scanlon@wisconsin.gov; 608-235-7532

Early striping from BLD as seen looking up into the canopy. Photo: The Ohio State University.

Early striping from BLD as seen looking up into the canopy. Photo: The Ohio State University.

Although beech leaf disease (BLD) has not been found in Wisconsin, forest owners and managers should keep an eye out for it on American (Fagus grandifolia) and, to a lesser extent, European (Fagus sylvatica) beech trees. Beech leaf disease is becoming a serious issue in parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario. Its cause is not yet known.

Continue reading “Be on the lookout for beech leaf disease” →