The beech leaf-mining weevil was first identified <https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications?id=37778> as the insect responsible for foliage damage on American Beech trees in the Halifax area in 2012. I have a photo of damaged leaves on a tree near my house in Waverley from 2011. There are now very few beech trees still alive here, and the woods have opened up markedly with the loss of so many trees. As far as I can tell, all remaining beech trees are infected. As long as there are living beech trees in Nova Scotia, I don't think we can say that this has ended. --- Peter Payzant On 2022-01-05 12:07 PM, Burkhard Plache wrote:

I was wondering if Copper Beech were affected - that's not good news. However, having lived (in Europe) in the presence of /Orchestes fagi/ for millennia, perhaps they have more natural immunity than the native species here have. --- Peter On 2022-01-05 1:18 PM, Burkhard Plache wrote:

I have been keeping an eye on beech at Sandy Lake (Bedford) since 2017.  The Beech leaf-mining weevil has been socked in there since 2014 - see comprehensive paper by Jonathan D. Sweeney, 2020https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2020.00046/full On Nov 7, 2021, still healthy beech trees , mostly younger trees stood out with the leaves still intact and were juxtaposed with trees that had been heavily damaged by the weevil. Perhaps the difference is related to water supply, as DW suggests. Drought is undoubtedly a factor. The last 3-4 years have been exceptionally droughty for many plants, even this year with more rain, I believe due to lowering of the water table in the previous years. I have noted that witch-hazel has suffered particularly, almost no flowering this year on more droughty sites View some photos at http://sandylakebeech David G PatriquinProfessor of Biology (retired)Dalhousie University Web Stuff at versicolor.caForest Blog at nsforestnotes.caGoogle Scholar   emails sent to patriqui(a)dal.ca & davidgpatriquin(a)gmail.com go to davidgpatriquin(a)yahoo.ca  On Wednesday, January 5, 2022, 07:18:09 p.m. AST, David Webster &lt;dwebster(a)glinx.com&gt; wrote: Thanks Peter and Burkhard for these updates.     Based on what I saw in the Kentville area in 2021, and drawing from memory, a key factor may be continuity of soil water supply over time within the rooting zone.     Reviewing the Kentville observations; I walked up Beech Hill Road, which usually has much water in wheel ruts until late summer and was astonished to find it mostly dry and bone dry as Beech became more common and at the height of land. All Beech at the height of land except saplings less than 6'? high were dead.     On the other hand, leaves on the numerous small Beech in my North Alton woodlot (faces North) showed little or no discoloration all summer (Morristown sandy loam {grows Wire Birch up to 13" perhaps 16" in diameter}). In addition to high water holding capacity of soil there, the trees also are watered by downhill seepage.     On another site SE of Palmeter subdivision, on a North facing slope Beech up to est. 14" diameter at stump and est. 100' tall had slight discoloration (perhaps wind damage) and seedlings est. 10-29' tall had no leaf discoration.     On a third site, north facing seepy slope which feeds a small brook which I have seen off and on since 1960 always with some water Beech from est. 2" to 8" at ground level have continued to look fine.     On a fourth site, my Pine woods in Cambridge (Cornwallis Sandy Loam) I was surprised to see a young Beech 10 to 15' tall growing well. The tilled land up slope is irrigated so there may be some sub-irrigation.       So I am convinced that continuity of soil moisture supply is a key factor which allows Beech to shrug off moderate leaf damage by this insect.     So I will dust off a suggestion I made last year; there is an excellent soil survey map of NS issued roughly about 1980 which would help with respect to wild Beech. In urban residential areas soil maps may mislead due to crap fill hauled in.      The "Geotome" (aka shovel) works also.     And guidelines; a root can not grow into dry soil, capillary rise can move water upward but only if there is continuity with depth of fine soil, feeder roots typically die over the dormant season and can grow again in spring only if soil moisture is adequate. Unless there are barriers to downward movement water moves straight down and not sideways. Water extraction by a deciduous tree starts near the surface and near the trunk and proceeds outward and downward.     In closing, one more famous line of advice: "You can see a lot by looking" Dave On 1/5/2022 12:07 PM, Burkhard Plache wrote: At Long Lake Prov. Park (Halifax), the majority (>3/4) of Beeches had most leaves eaten away or severely damaged. Some trees were nearly bare. Unaffected trees were mostly isolated from other beeches, typically young, scattered trees. In a forested area in Cape Breton (Lime Hills), nearly all (>95%) of the beech trees in the forests were dying or dead. Those were beech dominated hardwood forests (other dominant species were yellow birch and sugar maple), and the area was some 1 km from the next road (i.e., spread of the miner was unlikely by people). I think the leaf miners have been around for at least 5 years. I think to assess the impact, one would have to choose a sample area, and do a bit of counting (# trees in area / # of trees affected / # of trees healthy) and follow for a few years. On Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 5:10 AM David Webster &lt;dwebster(a)glinx.com&gt; wrote: Dear All,      Early in 2021 there was concern about  a Beech tree leaf miner. Can someone tell me how that ended.?      In the Kentville area, except for one patch of trees in a location normally wet year round and entirely dependent upon rainfall but bone dry when I walked to it,they have fared well. Dave _______________________________________________ Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca _______________________________________________ Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca _______________________________________________ Naturens mailing list -- naturens(a)chebucto.ns.ca To unsubscribe send an email to naturens-leave(a)chebucto.ns.ca