Images and stories from past Wingbeats

Beware of Jumping Earthworms — Bad Invasive

Update – from CAES website

Rototilling between May 15th and May 30th (Memorial Day) can kill many juvenile jumping worms (dates are for Connecticut). The juveniles are active during May and June, and they live mostly in the top 2 inches of the soil — hence, rototilling may chop them up. Currently, there are no well-established proven methods for control, nor any pesticides registered for use against jumping worms. Due diligence is currently our best control method.

To check for worms in late spring/summer, use a mustard powder slurry to flush worms out of the soil for hand-picking. (However, this slurry will also bother other earthworms—so learn to differentiate the jumpers from regular worms.) Mix 1⁄3 cup of ground yellow mustard into 1 gallon of water. Slowly pour half over a 1 square foot of soil. The worms will surface and squirm. Pick them and kill in very soapy water or by solarizing in sealed plastic bags on driveway in the sun. The mustard does not harm plants.

Asian Jumping Worms devour organic matter rapidly, stripping the forest of the layer critical for seedlings and wildflowers. Jumping worms grow twice as fast as other earthworms, reproduce more quickly, and can infest soils at high densities. In areas of heavy infestation, native plants, soil invertebrates, salamanders, birds, and other animals may decline. These worms can severely damage roots of plants in nurseries, gardens, forests, and turf.

Adults die after the first freeze. But the cocoons, which are about the size of a mustard seed, will survive winter and hatch during a consistent 50°F period. One worm can produce many cocoons without mating. Their populations can grow faster than the common European species, so they may out-compete existing worm populations. Cocoons are very small and dirt-colored, nearly impossible to spot by eye. Cocoons can be spread easily in potted plants, on landscaping equipment, mulch, tires, and even hiking boots.

Watch for a very uniform, granular soil created from worm castings (similar to coffee grounds). When you scratch the top layer of soil you will see the worms thrashing with an erratic, snake-like movement. The Asian jumping worm can be found on the soil surface and in the leaf litter, making them easy to find. They can live anywhere from urban parks and suburban backyards to rural forests and in compost piles and along roads.

They have a prominent band, called the clitellum, that completely encircles the body, is milky white to light gray, and is flush with the body; the body looks metallic. On European nightcrawlers, the clitellum is raised or saddle-shaped and reddish-brown in color and does not wrap entirely around the body.

Asian Jumping Worm, Cocoons (cms), and Texture of infested soil

How do you stop the spread? There are currently no viable jumping earthworm control methods, although research is continuing and we can prevent their spread:

• If purchasing bulk mulch or compost, use a reputable producer that has heat-treated the material to a temperature of 130°F for at least three days; or purchase bagged.
• Use a mustard pour to check for jumping worms (it won’t harm plants!). Mix a gallon of water with 1/3 cup of ground yellow mustard seed and pour slowly into the soil. This will drive any worms to the surface where you can easily remove them.
• Cocoons are sensitive to heat and can be destroyed with clear plastic solarization; in late spring or summer, cover moistened soil with a sheet of transparent polyethylene for two/three weeks or until the soil temperature exceeds 104°F for at least three days.
• Be careful when moving plants; always check for worms and know where your plantings come from; buy bare root stock if possible.
• If you have a small population of jumping worms, handpick and destroy them by bagging and throwing them in the trash, or place them in a bag and leave out in the sun for at least 10 minutes; then throw the bag away.
• Abrasive materials such as biochar (ground charcoal) and diatomaceous earth (fossilized diatoms) may kill adult jumping worms. Incorporate product into the infested soil to a depth where the worms are located.
• If you have jumping worms, report it (www.imapinvasives.org) and avoid moving plants or soil from your yard.

www.Cornell.edu/gardening-landscape

Spotted Lantern FlySpotted Lantern Fly, Adult on left, nymphs on right

USDA and CT Experiment Station just announced that spotted lanternflies have been found in West Haven and Greenwich. Be on the lookout for this voracious new invasive, probably the worst ever.

The spotted lanternfly is an invasive sap-feeding plant–hopper that was discovered in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014. It is native to China, India, and Vietnam. It attacks many hosts and has the potential to severely impact Connecticut’s farm crops, particularly apples, grapes, and hops, as well as a number of tree species like maple and walnut.

In the fall, adults can often be found congregating on tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus), willows, and other trees. They will lay egg masses on trees and almost any nearby surface. It has also been reported in New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and New York. Early detection is important for the protection of Connecticut businesses and agriculture. The public is urged to report potential sightings of this invasive pest to ReportSLF@ct.gov. (See below).

There have been recommendations that tree-of-heaven be removed in order to control the potential for expansion of this destructive insect—a good winter project for 2020–2021.

For more info: https://kensgardens.com/removing-tree-of-heaven-spotted-lanternfly-control/
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-the-spotted-lanternfly-180975778/

What to Do If You May Have Found SLF

First, and most important—if you think you may have found SLF, do not attempt to move any wood or other potentially-infested material from the site. Instead, please do one of two things:

To send a dead specimen, follow instructions on Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Spotted Lanternfly submission form , orhttps://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Forestry/Forest-Protection/Spotted-Lanternfly

Take lots of photos and carefully note the location to report your finding to the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) at ReportSLF@ct.gov.

Mile-A-Minute Weed, Persicaria perfoliata L.

Mile-a-minute weed, or Asiatic tearthumb, is an herbaceous, annual, trailing vine. Stems are armed with recurved barbs which are also present on the underside of the leaf blades. The light green colored leaves are shaped like an equilateral (equal-sided) triangle and alternate along the narrow, delicate stems. Distinctive circular, cup-shaped leafy structures, called ocreae, surround the stem at nodes, thus the name 'perfoliata.'

UPDATE:
Mile-A-Minute has invaded Middletown's Nature Garden on Randolph Road. It was seen spreading over the understory under the "bee tree" and vicinity. Noticed first in October 2017, it bears clusters of blue and (immature) pink and green seeds.

ECOLOGICAL THREAT
Mile-a-minute weed grows rapidly, scrambling over shrubs and other vegetation, blocking the foliage of covered plants from available light, and reducing their ability to photosynthesize, which stresses and weakens them. In addition, the weight and pressure of the vine causes distortion of stems and branches of covered plants. If left unchecked, reduced photosynthesis can kill a plant. Large infestations of mile-a-minute weed eventually reduce native plant species in natural areas. Small populations of extremely rare plants may be eliminated entirely. Because it can smother tree seedlings, mile-a- minute weed has a negative effect on Christmas tree farms, forestry operations on pine plantations and reforestation of natural areas. It has the potential to be a problem to nursery and horticulture crops that are not regularly tilled as a cultivation practice.

Mile-a-minute has been found in parts of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, DC.

Mile-a-minute weed generally colonizes open and disturbed areas, along the edges of woods, wetlands, stream banks, and roadsides, and uncultivated open fields, resulting from both natural and human causes. Natural areas such as stream banks, parks, open space, road shoulders, forest edges and fence lines are all typical areas to find mile-a-minute. It also occurs in environments that are extremely wet with poor soil structure.

For more information on the management of Mile-A-Minute Weed, please contact: Judith Hough-Goldstein, University of Delaware, jhough at udel.edu; Judy Okay, Chesapeake Bay Program, jokay at chesapeakebay.net; Jil Swearingen, National Park Service, jil_swearingen at nps.gov

photos courtesy IPANE.com

Garlic MustardPhotos: New Englakd Stewardship Network

Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) is an aggressive alien invader and is difficult to control once established. If left unchecked, it will quickly dominate a woodland understory; its seeds remain viable in the ground for more than 5 years. This biennial plant is allelopathic (it emits chemicals that prevent the growth of other native plants). It also inhibits mychorrizal activity, the fungi-root associations critical for nutrient and water uptake in native plants.

CONTROL:

It’s best initially to pull during flowering, before the plants produce seed.

Pull at the base of the plant—remove the entire root.

Pulled garlic mustard material will still complete flowering and set seed—do not leave it on the ground! Bag and dispose of pulled plants as garbage (not compost!).

Mowing garlic mustard is not an effective control because mowed plants will still flower and set seed. Especially, do not mow when seed pods are present (May–September).
Revisit pulled sites as often as possible to re-pull plants that sprout from left-behind root fragments. This is especially important later in the spring as seeds develop.
From: http://newengland.stewardshipnetwork.org

Yellow Groove Bamboo Photo by Caryn Rickel

Yellow groove bamboo, Phyllostachys aureosulcata, forms dense root clumps that are extremely difficult to remove. It is one of the easiest bamboos to identify, with a distinct yellow groove on the cane. Approximately 10% of the culms (canes) have an occasional zig-zag. The feel of the lower cane is rough like sandpaper. It is a giant, cold-hardy timber bamboo with a height of 15 to 40 feet.

Yellow groove is the most destructive and most invasive of the running bamboos. It forms dense monocultures and can easily break through asphalt driveways and grow up through wooden structures.

Locally, a quarter-acre infestation in Durham that was originally planted as 2 single rows of bamboo along the Wallingford right-of-way in 2009, is now 250 feet thick and threatens adjoining land.

According to Caryn Rickel of the Institute of Invasive Bamboo Research, this bamboo harbors histoplasmosis, as Black crows roost in this species. Caryn and the institute are working to educate Connecticut folks about this risk and to work for some laws about it. Contact her at 203 734 6344 ( evenings ok) or cri1611553@aol.com

List of invasions: http://www.eddmaps.org/profile.cfm?user=2610

Emerald Ash Borer

You may have noticed the purple traps that have been hung by the CT DEP in ash trees around our area. The traps monitor the presence (or lack of) the destructive Emerald Ash Borer. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a non-native insect with the potential to have a devastating effect on the ash trees of Connecticut. This insect, a bark-boring beetle, is perilously close to our state, with a major outbreak outside of Kingston, NY, just 25 miles west of the state line. This insect can be easily moved in firewood and through other means. Because of that, the DEP is encouraging greater awareness of EAB, hoping to reduce the likelihood of its inadvertent spread. They also want to help prepare people for dealing with the insect, should it be found in Connecticut.

What is EAB?

EAB is a small (½ inch), bright-green beetle that does its damage as a larva, feeding on the inner bark of ash trees. Its numbers build rapidly in an infestation, and these numbers will kill mature trees within 3–5 years. Its life cycle is between 1–2 years long, with the adults most likely to be found in June or July. Since the adult is small and only lives outside of the tree for a few weeks, the most likely way that the beetle will be found will be through the damage it causes to trees.

Anyone who suspects that they have found the insect or an infested tree is strongly encouraged to contact the State Entomologist at CAES (CAES.StateEntomologist@ct.gov or 203-974-8474). Take and send digital pictures, but do not move the wood or the insect!

In advance of an infestation, perhaps the most helpful steps for members of the general public are those that reduce the movement of raw wood over long distances. In particular:

Firewood should be sawn, purchased and used locally, so as to limit the opportunity for EAB and other pests to hitch a ride within the firewood pile.

A good source of identification material is University of Michigan. The EAB is doing much damage in the state of Michigan. http://www.anr.msu.edu/robertsd/ash/index.html

Japanese Barberry Linked to Lyme Disease

In an article in the New London Day, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Department of Forestry and Agriculture scientists, Jeffrey Ward and Scott Williams, noted that tick abundance in barberry-infested areas is 67 percent higher than in areas where native plants predominate. And, that the percentage of ticks that carry Lyme bacteria is also higher in barberry areas: 126 infected ticks per acre vs. 10 per acre. After barberry removal, tick populations drop as much as 80 percent.

Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) seed is spread primarily by animal droppings, and it can sprout roots on any branches that touch the soil.

It can be eradicated by burning or by herbicides. Burning is the preferred method where infestation is near water. Removal is a two-step process, beginning with mechanical cutting with a brush saw or, in some cases, tearing up dense clusters with a small bulldozer. That is followed by selective application of herbicides or by burning with a setup of tank, torch, backpack, and safety equipment.

About barberry in your own yard, Ward says, “There are so many barberry in most forests, and they produce so many seeds, that removing the couple of plants in your yard is more symbolic than effective, sort of like using your finger to plug a leak in a dike,” he said. “Time, energy and money would be better spent first controlling barberry infestations in the woods and along trails.”

Because infestations can be wide-spread in forested areas, Ward suggests, “Start along a trail, do a section 50 feet wide along the trail, then go back and widen it,” he advised. “You’ll get a sense of accomplishment, and it reduces the risk of Lyme disease for you and your pets.”

Scientists predict a heavy tick infestation this year anyway, because of the very wet spring. http://www.theday.com/article/20110620/NWS01/306209953/ 1017

Help Control This Invasive: Fanwort (Cabomba)

Please be on the lookout for any pieces of this nasty invader. Please check your boat, nets, and other equipment after use in any fresh water-body and remove and carefully dispose of any fragments of water weeds. Never dump aquarium plants or aquarium water into our natural water­bodies. Fanwort spreads extensively and very quickly, choking out native vegetation and hindering use of waterways.

Fanwort currently covers a large area towards the apex of a cove on the Connecticut River in Cromwell. It has tripled its area in the past few years. It is difficult to remove by hand because it is a fragile plant that is spread by small fragments. (Pulling causes it to break and spread.)

Below: text excerpted from University of Maine website: Bulletin #2522, Fanwort, Cabomba

Fanwort is a highly competitive, densely growing, submerged aquatic plant. Upon introduction into a new water body it progressively colonizes near shore areas, where it crowds out native plants and may hinder recreational activities. In relatively shallow lakes and ponds, fanwort can colonize the entire water body. Dense infestations of fanwort can alter species relationships, affect fish habitat, and impede swimming and boating. Dense infestations can degrade aesthetic and scenic quality, directly influencing tourism and real estate values. Like many invasive aquatic plants, fanwort can reproduce from small fragments. In late summer fanwort stems become brittle, and plants tend to break apart, creating opportunities for spread. As with other invasive aquatic plants, fanwort is extremely difficult to remove once it becomes established.

Fanwort is a submerged aquatic plant that produces emergent flowers, and sometimes small floating leaves. It is a perennial, growing from short rhizomes with fibrous roots. Stems may grow up to thirty feet in length. Submerged leaves are one to two inches across, with petioles opposite on the stem. Leaves are finely dissected into thin, flat segments that give each leaf the appearance of an ornate fan—an attractive pattern that has made fanwort a popular aquarium plant. Floating leaves are smaller and are not dissected though they are sometimes split at the tip. Flowers are white, with three sepals and three petals, and are typically about a half-inch wide. Flowers are solitary, each on separate stems arising from the axils of the floating leaves. Fanwort may be found in ponds, lakes and quiet streams.

Fanwort is native to South America and some southern areas of North America. It is an aggressive species in northern and southern areas of the U.S. It has been widely used in the aquarium trade for a number of years, which has probably been the source of some local infestations as well as infestations in places as far away as Australia.

Prevention and Control: The best way to control this species, or any aquatic invader, is to prevent it from being introduced in the first place. Anyone engaged in water activities should be aware of the potential for the spread of invasive plants and take steps to prevent their introduction. Your actions can make a difference. Simple things you can do include inspecting boats, motors and trailers at the boat ramp before launching, and again after the boat has been hauled out. Prevent plant material from getting into bait buckets and live wells, and from getting tangled up in anchor ropes or fishing gear. Plants cleaned from boats and gear should be disposed of in a trash receptacle, or away from water on dry land.

Once established, invasive aquatic plants are extremely difficult to eradicate. Control has been attempted with water level manipulations, mechanical control and herbicides. In most cases, plants have survived attempts at control. Biological controls for invasive aquatics are still being researched and may help limit growth of some species in the future.

References
Crow, G.E. and C.B. Hellquist. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of Northeastern North America. Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press, 2000.
Gleason, H.A. and A. Cronquist. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada, Second Edition. New York: New York Botanical Garden, 1991.
Commonwealth of Australia and National Weeds Strategy Executive Committee. Weeds of National Significance, Cabomba (Cabomba caroliniana), Strategic Plan, 2001.

Asian Longhorned Beetle UPDATE

Found in 2011 in Worster, Mass, this beetle is a serious pest in other parts of the world and can kill hardwood trees in roadside plantings, shelterbelts, and plantations. In the United States, the beetle prefers maple species.

ALB typically does not spread quickly on its own, but it can easily be inadvertently transported in untreated firewood and other forest products. Trees affected include: Boxelder, Norway, Red, Silver, and Sugar maples, Alders, Birches, Elms, Horsechestnut, Poplars, and Willows. A complete list of host trees in the United States, however, has not been determined. Previous infestations have occurred in New York, Illinois and New Jersey.

Residents suspecting they have seen ALB should report their findings to CAES at (203) 974-8474 or (203) 974-8485. Residents can also report sightings to APHIS via their website at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/.

With approximately 25,000 trees surveyed within the epicenter of the initial find of ALB in Jamaica Plain, NY and with NO NEW FINDS of ALB being detected there, survey work there is now being scaled back. Thus far, only 6 red maples at Faulkner Hospital, which were quickly removed and destroyed on July 6th, 2010, have been the only positive finds in that Regulated Area. In the Worcester Regulated Area, survey work and removal of infested trees continues. It is extremely important that we get the word out ASAP to everyone in the Boston, Brookline and Newton area to be on the lookout for adult Asian Longhorned Beetles, their exit holes, and egg-laying sites. Anyone seeing anything suspicious should report it immediately at http://massnrc.org/pests/albreport.aspx or toll-free: 1-866-702-9938. Take photos if you can. Spread the word, not the beetle! Get all the latest ALB news at: http://massnrc.org/pests/alb

Wingbeat has often contained articles about invasive species. In spring, it’s time to prepare for the ongoing battle against the usual plant suspects – Oriental bittersweet, Multiflora rose, Japanese barberry, and a whole host of others. This year, we want to draw your attention to a new invasive that has the potential to change the character of New England like you’ve never seen. The Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) arrived in the US from China on packing materials. It was first discovered in 1996 in Brooklyn, NY and recently in Worcester, MA, where an eradication program has removed 19,000 trees as of mid-March. The entire quarantine area is 64 square miles, an area a little over the size of East Haddam. It is especially fond of maples. This insect could severely impact the foliage tourism and maple sugaring industries if not controlled.

Birders are asked to keep an eye out and up for the Asian longhorned beetle as it spends a good deal of time in the canopy of trees.

Key ID Features:
• The Asian longhorned beetle is 0.75” - 1.5” long with antennae that are 1 to 2 times its body length.
• Adults are shiny black with irregular white spots.
• Antennae have alternating black and white bands.
• Feet and antennae may have a bluish tinge.
• Adults are active from early summer through mid-fall.
• Adult females dig bowl-shaped holes in the bark, typically about 1/2 inch (15mm) in diameter, to bury their eggs in. These “oviposition pits” often appear orange in color.
• Larvae can grow to be 2.4 inches long (60mm), with many-segmented, off-white bodies and brown mouthparts. They burrow beneath the bark and are rarely seen.
• “Frass” or sawdust/wood shavings may be apparent around the base of infested trees. Severely impacted tree may have exposed wood where larval feeding galleries (tunneling) is visible.

Description of damage:
• Larvae damage the tree by eating away at the outer sapwood, beneath the bark layer, creating hollowed out galleries in the wood.
• Females chew dime-sized oval grooves in the bark to deposit their eggs.
• Exit holes 3/8” or larger in diameter (6-14mm) appear wherever adults have bored out of the tree.
• Sawdust may appear on the ground or on tree branches where adults have exited from the tree.
• Wounds caused by the beetles may ooze sap.
Similar species:
• The native whitespotted pine sawyer (Monochamus scutellatus) is also large and black but has less distinct white patches on the wing covers, no bluish tinge on the legs or antennae, and a distinctive white spot between the wing covers.
If you suspect a sighting call toll free: 866-702-9938.

Note the day and location where you found the beetle. Capture the beetle and freeze if possible or keep in a cool place.