I was surprised over the weekend to come across a horde of Beech Bligh Aphid (Grylloprociphilus imbricator) nymphs on their namesake host in southwest Ohio. This aphid spends the winter in the egg stage and I had assumed they had completed their seasonal development.

Thursday, February 6, 2020 Sharonville Convention Center 11355 Chester Rd Cincinnati, OH  45246 SAVE THE DATE:  MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Earlier this month, Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU) hosted an online webiner entitled, "Putting Ash Wood to Good Use - Lessons from the Urban Wood Network." While many of us from Ohio have already lived through the devastation of EAB; some may have utilized the ash, some may have not, but either way, you will enjoy the webinar presented by Don Peterson, executive director of the Urban Wood Network.  

In mid-October 2019, Jim Chatfield, Amy Stone, and Thomas deHaas attended the Central Appalachian Spruce Restoration Initiative (CASRI) to discuss conifer health, specifically, Canadian Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) and hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) (HWA). HWA was first discovered in West Virginia in 1992.

Willow Pinecone Galls are produced by the Willow Pinecone Gall Midge, Rabdophaga strobiloides (family Cecidomyiidae), to house, nourish, and protect a single fly larva (maggot) located deep within the gall. The elaborate structures bear a striking resemblance to a pine cone complete with faux seed scales.

Kris Stone, Director of the Boone County Arboretum and horticulturist extraordinaire, texted images this past Friday of Willow Sawfly (Nematus ventralis) larvae chowing down on the leaves of a Dewystem Willow (Salix irrorata) in his home landscape. It was a reminder that although the plant pest season may be drawing to a close, it ain't over 'til it's over.

Woolly Alder Aphids produce large, white fluffy colonies on the branches of their namesake host making the branches look like they're covered in patches of white hair. A close look will reveal woolly aphid nymphs exuding strands of white waxy filaments from block-like structures on their backs.

Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) is potentially the most devastating non-native pest to have ever arrived in North America. The beetle kills trees belonging to 12 genera in 9 plant families. This includes all native maples, a preferred host. The ripple effect across many forest ecosystems also means the potential loss of plant and animal species dependent upon those ecosystems.

Tom Macy (Forest Health Program Administrator, Division of Forestry, Ohio Department of Natural Resources) has organized a workshop on treatment options for two non-native invasive pests threatening hemlock in Ohio: hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) and Elongate Hemlock Scale (EHS).

I received a call recently from Miguel Preza, the Integrated Pest Manager for a local nursery about the onset of early fall color. He said something very helpful, “If the tree or shrub looks different than the others, take a closer look. In a planting of red Maples Acer rubrum, a couple of trees were showing fall color ahead of the others. On closer inspection, the trees in color were infested with oyster shell scale.