UMass Extension Landscape Message #3
March 2, 2007

Quick Info Menu ------------------------------- SCOUTING INFORMATION REGIONAL NOTES - Cape Cod - Southeast - East - Central - Pioneer Valley - Berkshire ENVIRONMENTAL DATA PHENOLOGY WOODY ORNAMENTALS - Insects - Diseases - Weeds LANDSCAPE TURF - Insects - Diseases - Weeds INFO RESOURCES DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES Use this menu to instantly jump to any portion of the message!

The LANDSCAPE MESSAGE is an educational newsletter intended to guide landscape, nursery and urban forestry professionals in identifying pests in the landscape, monitoring their development, planning management strategies and creating site-specific records for future management reference. UMass Extension has updated this issue to provide timely pest management information and the latest regional news and environmental data throughout Massachusetts. During the period March 2 through March 30, this newsletter will be updated bi-weekly . The next update will be available on March 16, 2007. Missed a previous message? Visit the Landscape Message Archive. Interested in additional turf-oriented content? UMass Extension Turf Program Management Updates

SCOUTING INFORMATION BY REGION

REGIONAL NOTES -

Cape Cod Region (Barnstable) - General Conditions: Winter conditions prevailed for the month of February. While we have accumulated 12 GDDs, we gained all of them the first two weeks of January. Below normal temperatures were common for most of the month, with some moderation over the last few days. In addition to the 1.5 inches of rain, we also received about 4 to 6 inches of snow during February. Hamamelis ‘Jelena’ is finally ending bloom, having begun in late December.

Southeast Region (Hanson) - General Conditions: Cold weather continued from mid-January into February, and February was a cold month.  Plymouth County had some rain and snow with no major snow storms or accumulation. The flower blossoms on Helleborus foetidus and Helleborus x hybridus are dead from the cold. Pests/Problems: Deer continue to browse. There were no other pest problems to report.

East Region (Boston) - General Conditions: No report.

Central Region (Boylston) - General Conditions: The last few weeks have been more winter-like than the preceding two months. All plants that began to bloom earlier (witchhazels, snowdrops, hellebores) have either retreated back into dormancy or are covered with snow.

Pioneer Valley Region (Amherst) - General Conditions: The February temperatures were generally a bit below normal in the Pioneer Valley. Several snow events resulted in an accumulation of 8 to 12 inches of snow, which still covers the ground. Pests/Problems: With the return of winter conditions, scouting the UMass Campus revealed no insect or disease problems in the landscape, except black knot on Prunus species. However, deer browse/feeding damage is on the increase to evergreen trees and shrubs in landscapes that border areas where deer numbers are high.

Berkshire Region (Great Barrington) - General Conditions: Ground is snow covered. Pests/Problems: Deer browsing activity is high.

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA -

The following growing-degree-day (GDD) and precipitation data was collected for an approximate three-week period, February 6, 2007 through February 28, 2007. Soil temperature and phenological indicators were observed on or about February 28, 2007. Accumulated GDDs represent the heating units above a 50° F baseline temperature collected via our instruments from the beginning of the current calendar year. This information is intended for use as a guide for monitoring the developmental stages of pests in your location and planning management strategies accordingly.

PHENOLOGY -

The phenological indicators are a visual tool for correlating plant development with pest development. The following are the indicator plants and the stages of bloom observed for this period:

CAPE COD REGION - Roberta Clark, Horticulturist for Barnstable County, Barnstable.

SOUTHEAST REGION - Deborah Swanson, Horticulturist for UMass Extension in Plymouth County, Hanson.

EAST REGION - James R. Allen, Horticulturist and Greenhouse Manager for UMass Biology Department, Boston.

CENTRAL REGION - Joann Vieira, Superintendent of Horticulture, Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston.

PIONEER VALLEY - Dan Gillman, Plant Pathologist, UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, UMass, Amherst.

BERKSHIRES - Ron Kujawski, Specialist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery & Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.

WOODY ORNAMENTALS

INSECTS -

Now that March has arrived, it is time to start taking notice of what insect pests may be waiting in the wings that have the potential to become problematic within the next couple of months. A few are active now, and their population sizes should be evaluated.

Adelgids: 

• Eastern Spruce Gall Adelgid on Norway and white spruces. Examine the base of healthy buds carefully with a hand lens for the presence of white cottony fibers and actual adelgids. These tiny aphid-like insects overwinter exposed at the base of buds. At budbreak, they begin to feed and cause galls to form. When in large numbers, countless new shoots will be killed. Treat before budbreak with a dormant oil spray, if necessary.

• Cooley Spruce Gall Adelgid on blue spruce. This pest is very similar to the eastern spruce gall adelgid, but this one makes galls on blue spruce here in the eastern USA. If Douglas fir is within close proximity to a blue spruce, the problem can be severe. Oil sprays, of course, will cause blue spruce to become a dull green color for 2 to 3 months. In most cases, the blue color will eventually return to the needles, but clients should be informed ahead of time. Insecticidal soaps along with many of the registered chemical insecticides should also be effective against these soft-bodied and exposed insects during the early part of the season.

• Hemlock Woolly Adelgid: This pest has been active all winter by feeding and developing at the base of needles on the twigs of our native and Carolina hemlocks. They are just now beginning to produce eggs. Monitor with a hand lens for the presence of these tiny insects. Especially inspect twigs from the undersides for fine cottony masses, plump adelgids, and reddish-colored eggs. Treat with a dormant oil spray when the weather allows for their use. It is not yet known what the effects of this winter’s weather pattern had on populations of this pest. There is some possibility that the warmer-than-normal December and January, followed by a sudden dip into very cold weather, has caused mortality of hemlock woolly adelgid in Massachusetts. We did witness this phenomenon a few years ago where up to 80% of this species was killed in certain areas.

Caterpillars:

• Winter Moth: We expect this introduced pest to be found in new areas this year as well in already established areas. Flight of the moths in December (mostly) was very spread out this year, and it was difficult to establish population sizes. However, those places that had winter moth last year should be well prepared to deal with it this year. The eggs of this pest are on the trunks of trees now but are very difficult to see. Dormant oil sprays for the eggs may be effective for smaller plants, such as blueberries, which this pest also attacks. Once the foliage has expanded, treat with a spinosad product or Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki (B.t.K.), if necessary.

• Fall Cankerworm: This native caterpillar pest is similar to winter moth and remains active in many of the same areas as winter moth. Eggs are in barrel-shaped clusters and wrapped around small stems. Treat the larvae the same as winter moth, once they appear.

• Forest Tent Caterpillar has been on the increase in MA and other surrounding states for several years now. In areas of higher population densities, some mortality of this pest due to natural causes (such as disease) was seen in 2006. However, all areas where this pest occurred last year should be prepared to deal with forest tent caterpillar in 2007. Oaks in eastern MA seem to be the favored host while maples are the preferred host in western MA. However, this pest does have a rather wide deciduous host range overall.

• Gypsy Moth: some areas witnessed natural decline of building populations last year due to the fungus Entomophaga maimaiga. Monitor now for the tawny-colored egg masses to get a rough idea of population sizes. Once the eggs have hatched and the larvae have settled to feed, treat with a spinosad product or Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki (B.t.K.), if necessary.
  
• Eastern Tent Caterpillar: Common to Malus and Prunus species, this pest overwinters as an egg that appears in a tight cluster and is wrapped around small stems of the host plant. Inspect for the presence of these eggs. If occurring in limited numbers, egg masses can be removed and destroyed (buried or burned). Once the larvae have begun to feed and form their silken webs, they can be treated with a spinosad product or Bacillus thuringiensis Kurstaki (B.t.K.).

Nuisance Pests:

• Western Conifer Seedbug: This house invader may start to appear in the living areas of homes now that the sun is getting higher in the sky, warming roofs and siding. These insects may have been dormant in homes all winter. Now that spring is arriving, they become active and seek a route to the outdoors. However, oftentimes they take a wrong turn and end up in the living room, sometimes in great numbers. Although relatively large insects (about 3/4”), they do not bite or sting. They can be vacuumed up and released outdoors, or the bag containing them can be destroyed.

• Ladybugs: See the above description of Western Conifer Seedbug. The reasons for ladybugs being in homes and how to best deal with them are the same.

Reported by Robert Childs, Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program, Amherst.

No report: Visit the Landscape Message Archive for previous messages.

LANDSCAPE TURF

INSECTS -

No report: Visit the Landscape Message Archive for previous messages.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES

UMass Laboratory Diagnoses for Turf and Landscape Problems - Accurate diagnosis for a turf or landscape problem can often eliminate or reduce the need for pesticide use. The UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab is available to serve commercial landscape contractors, turf managers, arborists, nurseries and other green industry professionals. It provides woody plant and turf disease analysis, woody plant and turf insect identification, turfgrass identification, weed identification, and offers a report of pest management strategies that are research based, economically sound and environmentally appropriate for the situation. Send specimens and payment (payable to the University of Massachusetts) to UMass Extension Plant Diagnostic Lab, Holdsworth Natural Resources Center, 160 Holdsworth Way, UMass, Amherst, MA 01003. The fee for a woody plant disease analysis is $50; the fee for turf disease analysis or nematode assay is $75. All insect, weed and turfgrass identification samples are $25 each. For more detailed submission instructions see http://www.umass.edu/agland/diagnostics

NEXT UPDATE: The next issue will be available on March 16, 2007.

This message is produced by the UMASS Extension, Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program. The copy is prepared by Dan Gillman from data and reports provided by the staff and faculty of the UMass Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program and the UMASS Extension Turf Program as well as cooperating horticulturists and Green Industry professionals. The text is adapted for access via the internet by Jason Lanier.

DISCLAIMER. This message is intended for commercial use. UMass Extension assumes no liability for recommendations. It is the responsibility of the applicator to verify the registration status of any pesticide BEFORE applying it. Different states have different regulations as well. The use of trade names (™) does not imply endorsement. Similarly, there may be other products you prefer to use.

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