Box tree moth (BTM) caterpillars in southwest Ohio have awakened from their winter slumber meaning Ohio’s BTM hunting season is now open. There is no bag limit. This means it's time to take a close look at boxwoods to find, report, and manage BTM.

Springtime temperatures keep the biological calendar moving right along. While the progression of blooms and the activity of insects aren't tied to specific dates on the calendar, but rather, it is a sequence of activity that aligns in the same order year after year. 

In honor of the Biggest Week in American Birding, out next webinar is all about birds, the foods they eat, and the impacts of pesticides.

Boxwoods (Buxus spp.) in Ohio continue to be “in the news” this season as a result of the carry-over of several challenges experienced last season. Those challenges have caused some to question the continued reliance on a long-reliable plant. However, is rejecting boxwoods based on perception or reality?

Many of our BYGL readers, like yourself, are interested in the health of our forests, whether that be large expansive woodlands, or individual plants in urban areas. We were recently contacted by Anna Funk and Rachel Kappler with Holden Arboretum and the Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative. Below you will find information written by Anna and Rachel to introduce you, in a Q and A approach, to the collaborative and most importantly what you can do to help.

 

This week's Turfgrass Team Times (TTT) includes timely updates from Dr. Ed Nangle, Dr. David Gardner, Dr. Tyler Carr, and Dr. Shaohui Wu. 

 

Highlights include: preemergent and post emergent weed management; spring seeding; winter annual purple deadnettle; cool season grasses; annual bluegrass weevil; and warm season grass still dormant.

 

Click on the link to view this week's recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPChReuSXlA

 

 

The Ohio Forest Pests: A Field Guide, a resource that was printed and has been distributed at targeted programs, is now available online.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) is issuing a quarantine for six counties in southwest Ohio to prevent the spread of an invasive insect – the box tree moth.

Bostrichus capucinus is a ‘worldwide traveler’ and was recently found in a log sample imported from Italy. The beetle is a secondary pest of many trees and wood products including sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) which are widely planted in US landscapes.

The impact of the sheer numbers of flowering pear can go unnoticed. But not this time of year. As one of the first flowering trees of the season, now is a great time to tag them for later removal. The key is to know what trees should be removed before they set fruit. So, you have time.