Forest Pests

Annual Sugar Maple Leaf Drop from Petiole Borer

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Joe Boggs, Assistant Professor with OSU Extension and the Department of Entomology, is a regular contributor to Buckeye Yard & Garden onLine (BYGL for short).  Last week, he released an article on maple petiole borer which can cause leaf drop on otherwise healthy maple trees.  The petiole borer has a preference for sugar maples though other species are sometimes affected.  Thankfully petiole borers are not a serious threat to the long-term health of infested trees, but moderate to heavy leaf drop at this time of year can certainly raise concern levels if you don’t know the root cause of the issue…now you know!!

For full article, click here.

Ohio Maple Days 2021 Presentations AVAILABLE

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Despite being virtual due to COVID-19, 2021 Ohio Maple Days – or more accurately Ohio Maple Day sans the “s” – was a success.  The audience, two hundred or so strong, heard presentations on tapping and updates from our ACER grants in addition to how production might be increased with red maple.  A big thanks to this year’s speakers and an extra round of applause for the committee who worked hard on an event that looked quite a bit different than in years past.  One silver lining to having a virtual event is that the sessions are easily recorded.

Visit the Ohio Woodland Stewards Maple page and scroll to the bottom of that webpage to access the different presentations.  Let us know what you think and send us any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions to talk topics for next year!

Spotted Lanternfly in Ohio

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Even though it is 2020, there is still lots for which to be thankful.  That said, spotted lanternfly’s detection in the state isn’t on the list of items to be grateful.  As many have likely heard already, Jefferson County registered Ohio’s first confirmed detection of spotted lanternfly in late October.

Since then, agencies and officials have been scrambling to assess and monitor the location searching for additional evidence of the forest pest.  Beth Burger of the Columbus Dispatch wrote a nice article yesterday providing more details about the initial detection site and subsequent actions taken to lock down further spread.

Ohio State’s CFAES website just released an informative article too about Ohio’s most recent member of the state’s confirmed invasive species list.

We have already been urging vigilance among maple producers and woodland owners due to the species’ sweet tooth for the Acer genus.  Now your focused attention is even more important!  Should you discover evidence of spotted lanternfly, you MUST report sightings to Ohio Department of Agriculture’s website or the Great Lakes Early Detection Network for invasive and noxious species.

You can expect to see more about the spotted lanternfly in coming months as the second ACER grant award contains support to equip and empower Ohio’s maple producers to be active participants in spotted lanternfly surveillance.  In the meantime, be thankful for Ohio’s fleet of professional agencies and organizations who are actively working to combat spread of spotted lanternfly and other invasive species to protect our state’s great forests.

Author: Gabe Karns

Spot the Spot: Friday in the Woods Webinar

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Amy Stone, OSU Extension educator for Lucas County, Ohio, will be presenting a webinar on November 13th from 10 AM-noon on the spotted lanternfly.  From state and national spotted lanternfly updates to the latest on host plant distributions and invasive pest insect research – you won’t want to miss this one.

Maple producers across the region should be informed on this invasive forest pest and be part of the solution to ensure early detection and rapid quarantine limits damage on Ohio’s forests.

The webinar is part of the Friday in the Woods series hosted by OSU’s Woodland Stewards Program.  You can register here – FREE.  ISA and SAF credits are available.

Ohio Maple Producers Will Be KEY Watchdogs for Spotted Lanternfly

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As the weather shifts from the dog days of summer to the cool feel of fall, maple producers begin ramping up their activity in the maple woods to prepare for the upcoming syrup season.  Unfortunately, there is a new forest pest with a sweet tooth for trees in the Acer genus – the spotted lanternfly – that producers should keep an eye out for this fall.  And if your woods has any tree-of-heaven nearby, you should be extra vigilant and watchful for the spotted lanternfly.  While a spotted lanternfly infestation has not been confirmed in Ohio yet, they are documented in Pennsylvania just across the state line.  The issue is urgent!!

Here are some great resources that relay the importance of spotted lanternfly surveillance and train you how to be an early detection participant in the fight against spotted lanternfly.  Our maple woods may depend on it!!

“Spot the Spot” Article in Buckeye Yard & Garden Online (Authors: Amy Stone, Thomas deHaas)

Spotted Lanternfly OSU Extension Fact Sheet (Authors: Jamie Dahl, Ashley Kulhanek)

Great Lakes Early Detection Network app for reporting invasive species