Redbud Leaffolder Damage

Participants at last week's Greater Cincinnati Diagnostic Walk-About were thrilled to view the unusual leaf symptoms caused by the Redbud Leaffolder on its namesake host. Or, maybe it was just me who was thrilled. Most of the leaf damage this season is produced by the current 3rd generation caterpillars.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) Cooperative Eradication Program in Ohio Scores Another "Win"

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. Successful eradication is essential to avoiding a catastrophic loss of trees on a scale never before seen in the U.S.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Monarch Migration

The annual migration of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippusis) has begun. It has to be an amazing adventure if you are the butterfly, or spectacular site if you are a person able to observe the migration in progress.
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Authors
Amy Stone

Beech Blight Aphids Shake Their Booty

I believe no other insect upstages Beech Bligh Aphids in entertainment value. During a visit to a Lake County, OH, park last Thursday, Jim Chatfield and I came across a cluster of these engaging aphids shaking their woolly derrieres in what appeared to be a synchronous samba. All we needed was "(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty" by KC and the Sunshine Band blaring in the background to complete the effect.
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Authors
Joe Boggs
Jim Chatfield

Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) Update – Don't Rush to Cut Walnut Trees!

The long-term outlook for eastern black walnuts seemed dire when the Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) complex was confirmed in Butler County, OH, in 2013. Thankfully, TCD has not followed the devastating trajectory we originally feared. It is not rolling through our native black walnuts à la emerald ash borer on native ash. The two situations are like apples-to-oranges.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

No Asian Hornets in the U.S.

When you read or hear about "Asian hornets," you need to keep two things in mind. First, the "Asian" moniker has been commonly applied to at least three hornet species native to various Asian regions. The second thing to remember is that none of these hornets have been found living in the U.S.
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Authors
Joe Boggs

Invasive Plant Species Alert - Japanese Stiltgrass

Japanese stiltgrass was not on my radar until a recent visit to a local park. It had piqued my interest because of the plants lushness beneath a full canopy of trees. My first thought was, what is this grass that could be a recommendation for shady sights? My excitement quickly waned because our hosts explained that the annual grass unfortunately, is an invasive species.
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Authors
Cindy Meyer

Eastern Filbert Blight on Hazelnut

Eastern filbert blight is a disease of filbert and hazelnut trees (Corylus spp.). It is caused by a native fungus. In a natural setting, filbert blight causes a relatively minor disease on native American hazelnut shrubs (Corylus americana) causing small cankers on the stems and branches. However, the disease is lethal to introduced and commercially important European hazelnut (Corylus avellana) in orchards.
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Authors
Amy Stone