Dave and all:
At the risk of falling into a never-ending debate here, I will
clarify that there is a gigantic difference between native
insects and an invasive insect that threatens to
permanently remove a formerly keystone tree species from our
forests.
Orchestes fagi is an invasive species, moved here by humans
from Europe and recently introduced into Halifax and Sydney
ports. it's a total game changer. Both CFIA and CFS scientists
have identified its key dispersal mechanisms. Long distance
dispersal is associated with human movements. This particular
insect is capable of stowing itself into cracks and crevices of
any tree species where it spends most of its life cycle
apparently. Anyone cutting any species of tree can accidentally
and quite unknowingly move this pest. It thoroughly kills beech
after several years; a tremendous loss to wildlife like black
bears who fatten up on beech nuts during mast years, as most
folks here would already know. Essentially, our most nutritious
"wildlife' tree of the Acadian forest is rapidly disappearing
across NS, and there is barely a whisper across NS of its
enormous loss.
Donna Crossland (Given how profoundly sad I find this event
to be, I will not respond further-there's info on-line.)
Dear All,
I wish to make a few general comments about insects and trees.
There seems to be a general perception that insects which attack trees move about largely when logs or firewood is moved. While this no doubt can happen insects often move without human help. Compared to insects we are the new kid on the block; thus they got around without our help.
If you fell a healthy White Pine on a calm, warm sunny day it will soon attract an assortment of insects laying eggs in or on the bark free (smooth thin "bark"; just undifferentiated epidermis) as opposed to the thicker multi layered bark followed by Cleridae looking for a meal of insects, eggs or to lay eggs where the young will likely find larvae or eggs to eat.
(Drawing on memory so details may be faulty.) Cut a small Ash (smooth bark) and leave it where it was but leaning against another small Ash and within one fine day (sometimes hours) the cut Ash will have any small round holes and the intact tree will be without holes.
Thus tree health conditions interaction with insects.
Dave Kentville
On 5/1/2021 12:03 PM, Donna Crossland wrote:
From Doug's observations on the North Mountain, it sounds like the Beech Leaf-mining Weevil (Orchestes fagi) a.k.a. "Evil Weevil", as coined by folks in Eskasoni, is already out and ready to pounce on new beech leaves as soon as they unfold. How sad.
The weevil is ramping up to attack the American beech trees again this spring; what few remain and thrive after the much earlier introduction of beech bark disease, an invasion from Europe nearly a century ago.
If it is gathering on the North Mountain, it is also out in the warmer parts of the Annapolis Valley. I have yet to see this part of the life cycle, so will head out to search for it this weekend. I am curious about the reported clicking sounds they make. Do you hear them, Doug? The beech trees are not ready to leaf out yet, so maybe the weevil will find itself out of sync and starve. That would be nice.
If I stand out there with a large vacuum cleaner when they are swarming...? I guess that sounds desperate and futile... So many of these weevils are likely being moved about on firewood as little stowaways. I hope our provincial parks will switch to providing firewood to perhaps keep out infested firewood imports with campers and keep out the weevil for as long as they can. Valley View Park will most certainly be devastated, and likely soon. I hope they have a plan.
Donna
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Subject: [Naturens] Re: CBC: Emerald Ash Borer in Bedford Date: Fri, 30 Apr 2021 21:21:18 -0300 From: Doug Linzey <doug@fundymud.com> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
On Wednesday, a fine sunny, warm day, our south-facing windows were covered with little black randomly moving spots, which proved to be Orchestes fagi, Beech leaf-mining weevils. They're waiting impatiently for the beech leaves to emerge and turn much of our property into what you describe, Peter -- dead beech trees. They began the insult last year, and this year I expect a pretty thin canopy by the end of June. That, plus a change in the way water accumulates and sticks around more than it used to, causing some tree dieoff, not to mention much higher and regular winds (and a neighbour who would rather have a well-groomed yard than those pesky natural trees) causing blowdown, all adds up to a seriously challenged bit of forest here on the N. Mountain. Can't wait for the Emerald Ash Borer!
DougArlington, Kings Co.
On Fri, Apr 30, 2021 at 3:28 PM Peter Payzant <peter@payzant.net> wrote:
CBC had a disheartening story yesterday about the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer in Bedford. It seems that it's now just a matter of time before ash trees in the province are history._______________________________________________
The forest behind our home opened up tremendously with the deaths of all the Beech trees; Ash trees are one of the more common remaining deciduous species.
You can read the story here.
--- Peter Payzant
Waverley
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