Canker Worm update for 2011-2012
Jack Mcneary has updated canker worm information for the coming season. click here
To read about Queens University of Charlotte's Ground Breaking of the Rogers Science and Health Building scheduled for this spring
click here and scroll down
Asian Ambrosia Beetle
By: Dustin Dalton
Director of Plant Health Care Arborguard Tree Specialist
Often times we plant trees in our landscapes and yards for beauty, shade, or just to watch them grow. A beautiful Oak or two, Japanese Maples and Crepe Myrtles often complete a landscape scene. However, people don’t seem to pay much attention to their trees until
 something goes wrong with them. They notice the canopy is sparse, leaves have turned brown and started falling off and the tree is practically dead! Trees in the landscape must be maintained, and a close eye must be kept on them for susceptible insects and diseases.
There is one insect in particular out there stalking your beloved trees. It’s very tiny but can and often does quickly kill the smallest of shrubs to the largest of trees. The insect is the Asian ambrosia beetle. Asian ambrosia beetles were accidentally imported to the United States in some cargo in North Carolina that arrived from China in the 1970’s. Since then, this insect has spread to several states and caused millions of dollars in tree loss.
The female Asian ambrosia beetle emerges in the spring from her winter dormancy inside and infested tree and travels to a suitable nearby shrub or tree. She then moves fast boring her way through an inch of wood a day. As the beetle bores into the tree, she ejects sawdust out of the entrance hole. The sawdust exiting the hole forms tooth-pick like protrusions. This is the key diagnostic feature of Asian Ambrosia beetle damage. Keep a close look out for this sawdust in the Spring.
The insect doesn’t actually eat the wood but excavates tunnels that serve as a home for her eggs. She introduces a fungus into the tunnel, which she carries. When her eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the fungus. It is this fungus that kills the tree. It clogs the vascular system of the plant causing it to wilt and eventually die.
Many species of tree and shrub are susceptible to this beetle. Among the most common are Red Maple, Crepe Myrtle, Dogwood, Ornamental Cherry, Bradford Pear, Oak, Elm, Magnolia, Fig, Peach, Japanese Maple, Golden Rain Tree, Azalea, Rhododendron, and Pine. The beetle will attack almost any broadleaf tree or shrub, whether healthy or not. Almost the entire life cycle of the insect is spent inside the plant, making the beetle hard to control.
The best way to control Asian ambrosia beetle is by prevention. A series of trunk sprays should be applied to help prevent infestation. If a tree is already infested adjacent trees should be sprayed.
Asian ambrosia beetle is a serious pest and all trees must be monitored closely. Preventative sprays could mean the difference of a large beautiful healthy oak in your front yard or a sad dead tree thanks to a small beetle.
Freedom Park Cleanup
It has come to the attention of the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department that the section of Freedom Park adjoining
Sterling Road (from the Charlotte Junior League Building to Wellesley Street and from the Nature museum to Princeton) is not being maintained at an acceptable level. Specifically, yard waste, and other discarded materials are being dumped onto Park property. Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation will be working to cut back the overgrowth that has occurred in recent years and clean up the area. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Greg Clemmer, Central Regional Manager, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation at 704-353-1248 or e-mail him at Gregory.Clemmer@MecklenburgCountyNC.Gov
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