The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) recently announced plans to begin aerial treatments designed to disrupt gypsy moth mating later this summer. Treatments will be applied to 32,526 acres in fifteen counties across the state. 
 

The gypsy moth is a non-native, invasive species that feeds on the leaves of more than 300 different trees and shrubs and is especially fond of oak as a caterpillar as shown below.

 

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A couple of weeks ago, me and several of my Extension colleagues came across so-called marginal leaf fold galls on an oak on the OSU campus during a photography workshop. Since that time, I'm commonly finding these galls on oaks belonging to the "red oak group" as well as a similar gall on black locust in southwest Ohio.

First generation nests of the deceptively named Fall Webworms are now becoming evident in Ohio. One of the most common question that I get about these moth caterpillars is, "why are they called "fall webworms" when it's not fall?"

I'm an unabashed fan of willows. Of course, no tree is perfect and willows have a few pests. Thankfully, the depth of their vital spark means willows are capable of handling the depredations of most pests. However, the pests I'm highlighting can make trees look bad.

Canada Thistle in southwest Ohio is starting to show the "ghostly" white symptoms of bacterial infections. The tops of infected plants look like they were dipped in bleach. The bacterium produces a chemical called tagetitoxin which is a RNA polymerase III inhibitor that blocks the production of chloroplasts.

Making a correct tree identification is the critical first step in correctly diagnosing a tree problem. Of course, sometimes the diagnosis identifies the tree. Insect galls are often so host-specific, they can give you six-legs up on tree identification.

Ailanthus Webworm caterpillars feed exclusively on the non-native, highly invasive, misleadingly named Tree of Heaven. I came across a heavy webworm population this week while lumbering through a thick growth of tree of heaven saplings in search of Spotted Lanternfly.

Driving along in Northeast Ohio, I came around a bend in the road and saw some tall weeds with clusters of white flowers in the roadside ditch.  The flower heads had the classic shape of the Apiaceae or carrot family with the typical “compound umbels” on display.  Think of an upside down umbrella with all the flower clusters radiating upward from a single point end of the stalk to form a flattened flower head about 6-10” across.  So, I just had to stop and look at these plants knowing the concern that they will incite when people panic because they think they are seeing...

Spotted is native to Southeast Asia. It was first found in North America in eastern Pennsylvania in the fall of 2014. Reports at the time kept noting that Tree of Heaven is the primary host. Frankly, I thought: "Who cares?"

Last week, a local police officer was called out to a property for mysterious “bug” activity.  An unusual nest was reported on the property and the concerned homeowners did not know what it was or what to do with it.  Luckily, the officer knew to call their local Extension office and soon we were ON THE CASE!  (Here come the sleuthing puns!)

 

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