Connecticut entomologists warn of southern pine beetle invasion
Populations of Southern Pine Beetle have been found in Connecticut. This is a species that is native to the southern portions of United States and throughout Central America. Southern Pine Beetle favor "hard" pine species which likely include Pitch Pine, Scotch Pine, and Red Pine that inhabit Connecticut.
More information can be found at this website:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev2_042840.pdf
Showing posts with label Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Show all posts
EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN THE TOWN OF SHERMAN IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 26, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III, Ph.D.
Vice Director, Chief Scientist/State Entomologist
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street (zip 06511)
P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504
Phone: (203) 974-8485
EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN THE TOWN OF SHERMAN IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY,
CONNECTICUT
New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) announced today that the
emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis) has been detected in another Connecticut county –
Fairfield – in the town of Sherman, CT on July 19, 2013. This invasive insect has now been found in two
Connecticut counties and twelve towns. The identification of EAB has been confirmed by the federal
regulatory officials in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and
Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ). This new county detection, like that of the initial New Haven County
detection in 2012, was made through the Experiment Station’s Cerceris wasp biosurveillance program.
In Connecticut, a quarantine has previously been established that regulates the movement of ash logs, ash
materials, ash nursery stock, and hardwood firewood from within New Haven County to any area outside
of that county. The New Haven County quarantine mirrors a federal quarantine also imposed on New
Haven County. This Fairfield County detection will result in the expansion of the state and federal
quarantines in Connecticut.
The emerald ash borer is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees and has been
detected in 20 states from Kansas and Michigan to New Hampshire and south to North Carolina. Ash
makes up about 4% to 15% of Connecticut’s forests and is a common urban tree.
In Connecticut, the insects were previously confirmed in Prospect, Naugatuck, Bethany, Beacon Falls,
Waterbury, Cheshire, Oxford, Middlebury, Hamden, North Branford, and Southbury, all in New Haven
County, as part of surveys conducted by CAES, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
(DEEP), the U.S. Forest Service, and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension via an
agreement with USDA APHIS PPQ in joint efforts to detect the presence of EAB in the state or determine
the extent of the current New Haven County infestation. The Hamden detection was initially reported by
a homeowner. EAB has also been identified in Dutchess County, New York, Berkshire County,
Massachusetts and Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
A single specimen of EAB was recovered in Sherman from the ground-nesting, native wasp (Cerceris
fumipennis), which hunts beetles in the family Buprestidae, including the emerald ash borer. The wasp is
an efficient and effective “biosurveillance” survey tool and does not sting people or pets. In addition, 307
purple prism detection traps have been set across the state, excluding New Haven County, by the
University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. The EAB surveillance program is supported by
the USDA-APHIS-PPQ.
“This latest detection and those in an expanding area of New Haven County show how invasive this insect
can be - putting more of our ash trees at risk.” said State Entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III. “Not moving
firewood or ash is the best way to help slow the spread of EAB.”
“Now that EAB has been detected in another Connecticut county, it is more important than ever to curb its
spread and the most effective way to do that is preventing the movement of wood products out of affected
areas,” said DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty. “We will continue to work closely with the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Transportation, and other state and local agencies to
put effective strategies in place to limit the spread of EAB and minimize the impact this invasive beetle
has on Connecticut’s ash trees.”
In addition to the established quarantine, regulations are in effect regulating the movement of firewood
from out-of-state into Connecticut or within Connecticut, including the requirement of a permit to bring
out-of-state firewood into Connecticut. These regulations were put in place to ensure that EAB and other
invasive insects are not carried into Connecticut, or spread throughout New England, through the
movement of firewood.
Detailed information about the quarantine, including its expansion, and the firewood regulations can be
found at www.ct.gov/deep/eab or www.ct.gov/caes .
The emerald ash borer is a regulated plant pest under federal (7 CFR 301.53) and state (CT Gen. Statute
Sec. 22-84-5d, e, and f) regulations. For more information about the EAB, please visit the following
website: www.emeraldashborer.info. A fact sheet providing guidelines on the treatment of ash trees to
protect them from EAB is also available at www.ct.gov/caes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 26, 2013
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III, Ph.D.
Vice Director, Chief Scientist/State Entomologist
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington Street (zip 06511)
P.O. Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504
Phone: (203) 974-8485
EMERALD ASH BORER FOUND IN THE TOWN OF SHERMAN IN FAIRFIELD COUNTY,
CONNECTICUT
New Haven, CT - The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) announced today that the
emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis) has been detected in another Connecticut county –
Fairfield – in the town of Sherman, CT on July 19, 2013. This invasive insect has now been found in two
Connecticut counties and twelve towns. The identification of EAB has been confirmed by the federal
regulatory officials in the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and
Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ). This new county detection, like that of the initial New Haven County
detection in 2012, was made through the Experiment Station’s Cerceris wasp biosurveillance program.
In Connecticut, a quarantine has previously been established that regulates the movement of ash logs, ash
materials, ash nursery stock, and hardwood firewood from within New Haven County to any area outside
of that county. The New Haven County quarantine mirrors a federal quarantine also imposed on New
Haven County. This Fairfield County detection will result in the expansion of the state and federal
quarantines in Connecticut.
The emerald ash borer is responsible for the death and decline of tens of millions of ash trees and has been
detected in 20 states from Kansas and Michigan to New Hampshire and south to North Carolina. Ash
makes up about 4% to 15% of Connecticut’s forests and is a common urban tree.
In Connecticut, the insects were previously confirmed in Prospect, Naugatuck, Bethany, Beacon Falls,
Waterbury, Cheshire, Oxford, Middlebury, Hamden, North Branford, and Southbury, all in New Haven
County, as part of surveys conducted by CAES, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
(DEEP), the U.S. Forest Service, and the University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension via an
agreement with USDA APHIS PPQ in joint efforts to detect the presence of EAB in the state or determine
the extent of the current New Haven County infestation. The Hamden detection was initially reported by
a homeowner. EAB has also been identified in Dutchess County, New York, Berkshire County,
Massachusetts and Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
A single specimen of EAB was recovered in Sherman from the ground-nesting, native wasp (Cerceris
fumipennis), which hunts beetles in the family Buprestidae, including the emerald ash borer. The wasp is
an efficient and effective “biosurveillance” survey tool and does not sting people or pets. In addition, 307
purple prism detection traps have been set across the state, excluding New Haven County, by the
University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension System. The EAB surveillance program is supported by
the USDA-APHIS-PPQ.
“This latest detection and those in an expanding area of New Haven County show how invasive this insect
can be - putting more of our ash trees at risk.” said State Entomologist Kirby C. Stafford III. “Not moving
firewood or ash is the best way to help slow the spread of EAB.”
“Now that EAB has been detected in another Connecticut county, it is more important than ever to curb its
spread and the most effective way to do that is preventing the movement of wood products out of affected
areas,” said DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty. “We will continue to work closely with the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment Station, the Department of Transportation, and other state and local agencies to
put effective strategies in place to limit the spread of EAB and minimize the impact this invasive beetle
has on Connecticut’s ash trees.”
In addition to the established quarantine, regulations are in effect regulating the movement of firewood
from out-of-state into Connecticut or within Connecticut, including the requirement of a permit to bring
out-of-state firewood into Connecticut. These regulations were put in place to ensure that EAB and other
invasive insects are not carried into Connecticut, or spread throughout New England, through the
movement of firewood.
Detailed information about the quarantine, including its expansion, and the firewood regulations can be
found at www.ct.gov/deep/eab or www.ct.gov/caes .
The emerald ash borer is a regulated plant pest under federal (7 CFR 301.53) and state (CT Gen. Statute
Sec. 22-84-5d, e, and f) regulations. For more information about the EAB, please visit the following
website: www.emeraldashborer.info. A fact sheet providing guidelines on the treatment of ash trees to
protect them from EAB is also available at www.ct.gov/caes.
The Wasps Are Out!
The Cerceris wasps are beginning to emerge at St. Anthony's Cemetery! We hope to begin monitoring these wasps during the first week of July, after the remainder of the individuals emerge.
Cerceris wasps are a native genus of stingless insects that hunt for beetles from the Buprestidae family. After finding and stinging a beetle, these wasps bring the beetle back to their burrows. The invasive emerald ash borer is one of the wasp's prey species, so groups across North America have found it helpful to monitor Cerceris colonies in order to detect the presence of this pest. When a wasp returns to its burrow with its prey, we net it and identify it. This way, we can determine if the wasps are catching any emerald ash borers in the area.
As part of a statewide effort to detect the emerald ash borer, White Memorial is monitoring the Cerceris colonies at St. Anthony's Cemetery, Wamogo High School, the Morris Town Beach, and Litchfield High School.
Claire Rutledge of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is hosting a training session for volunteers who would like to help monitor the wasp colonies. The session is scheduled for 11 AM on Tuesday, July 2 in the Ceder Room.
 |
| One of the first wasp burrows of the year |
Cerceris wasps are a native genus of stingless insects that hunt for beetles from the Buprestidae family. After finding and stinging a beetle, these wasps bring the beetle back to their burrows. The invasive emerald ash borer is one of the wasp's prey species, so groups across North America have found it helpful to monitor Cerceris colonies in order to detect the presence of this pest. When a wasp returns to its burrow with its prey, we net it and identify it. This way, we can determine if the wasps are catching any emerald ash borers in the area.
As part of a statewide effort to detect the emerald ash borer, White Memorial is monitoring the Cerceris colonies at St. Anthony's Cemetery, Wamogo High School, the Morris Town Beach, and Litchfield High School.
Claire Rutledge of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is hosting a training session for volunteers who would like to help monitor the wasp colonies. The session is scheduled for 11 AM on Tuesday, July 2 in the Ceder Room.
Cerceris Wasp BioSurveillance for EAB Workshop
June 28, 2012
11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
A. B. Ceder Classroom
Emerald Ash Borer continues to march closer to our area. This year EAB was documented for the first time east of the Hudson River! Several methods are utilized to detect EAB's spread. One method uses the native Smokey-Winged Beetle Bandit (Cerceris fumipennis) wasp. These wasps don't sting humans and are fun to catch! Claire Rutledge (CT Ag. Exp. Station) will facilitate our training and show you the importance of the project. This workshop starts with introductory lecture indoors and is then followed by practicing the field techniques outdoors. Please dress for the weather and bring water. If you are interested in participating in this workshop please contact James Fischer, WMCC Research Director
james@whitememorialcc.org
Native Bee Monitoring Initiated
 |
| Tracy Zarrillo (CT Ag. Exp. Station) and Jared Franklin install traps to inventory and monitor native bees. |
Tracy Zarrillo and Dr. Kimberly Stoner (CT Agricultural Experiment Station) are monitoring native bee populations throughout the state. Bees are a very important group of insects because of their role in native ecosystems and agriculture. The traps used for collecting bees are quite simple but effective. They consist of plastic cups that are painted different colors (Blue, Yellow, and White) with fluid to capture the bees that investigate the cup. The color of the cups attract the bees.
 |
| Bees are attracted to variety of colors, this cup is painted yellow and captures bees that investigate it . |
The cups are checked weekly and the specimens are sent to CAES for identification. This data will help us inventory the species associated that inhabit the property and monitor any changes within the population.
 |
| Only 2 hours later, a bee was observed in a white trap! |
Detecting the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer in CT: Casting a wide net!
 |
| Jenna Klinck, UCONN Natural Resource Management and Engineering student, hoists a purple trap used to detect Emerald Ash Borer on the property. |
 |
| Olfactory bait packets used to attract Buprestid beetles, which includes the Emerald Ash Borer. |
 |
| Buprestid beetle (center) and other forest insects stuck to the side of the trap used to detect Emerald Ash Borer. |
Emerald Ash Borer is the latest invasive forest pest expanding to threaten New England forest trees, specifically ash species. A cooperative team of scientists are trying to detect Emerald Ash Borer in Connecticut, including the UCONN Cooperative Extension Service, CT Agriculture Experiment Station, and CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The tools used to capture EAB in CT are purple traps suspended in trees along roads and looks like box kites. There are scent packets suspended in the center of the traps that mimic the smell of a dying ash tree. The outer surface of the traps have a sticky glue that captures the insects. The traps are visited periodically to insure they stay in the tree canopy and to glean the glued surfaces for any insects that resemble EAB for further identification in the lab. For more information about the purple trap project click here or visit this other website for more details about the statewide effort.
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