News in the Midwest (December 10, 2014)
OF POTENTIAL INTEREST TO ALL
http://entomologytoday.org/2014/12/09/three-insects-intercepted-by-cbp-agents-in-philadelphia-port/
Three Non-native Insects Intercepted by CBP
Agents in Philadelphia Port
Stenygra setigera, a longhorned beetle found in a container of granite from Brazil.
by Entomology Today December 9, 2014
Last month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists in Philadelphia intercepted
two insect species that were never before recorded in the U.S., plus a third one that has never been
recorded in the Philadelphia area. The identifications of all three were recently confirmed by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
The CBP agriculture specialists intercepted Dalmochrimnus guatemalanus, a species of seed bug, in a
shipment of cassava and chayotes from Costa Rica on November 7, and they also found a longhorned
beetle called Stenygra setigera in a container of granite from Brazil on November 17. Neither one has
ever been documented in the United States.
CBP agriculture specialists also intercepted a Chinese wax scale (Ceroplastes sinensis) in a shipment of
persimmons on November 20 — the first to be reported in the Philadelphia area.
“Keeping these insect pests out of the United States is of grave concern for U.S. Customs and Border
Protection, and our agriculture specialists take their job very seriously,” said Susan Stranieri, CBP Port
Director for the Area Port of Philadelphia. “Holding the line against destructive insects at our nation’s
borders protects America’s varied agricultural industries, and saves our nation’s economy the expense
associated with eradicating and recovering from new invasive species.”
During all three interceptions, CBP submitted the insect specimens to USDA entomologists for complete
identification.
Dalmochrimnus guatemalanus is a member of the family Lygaeidae and is a significant pest of crops,
grains, shrubs, and trees. The USDA prescribed that the shipment of Costa Rican cassava and chayotes
be fumigated.
Stenygra setigera is a longhorned beetle that belongs to the family Cerambycidae. They are native to
Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia, and are serious wood-boring pests of forests. The importer is
deciding between fumigating, re-exporting, or destroying the shipment of Brazilian granite, which was
destined for Delaware.
Ceroplastes sinensis is a pest of commercial citrus crops in Spain. The insect has a waxy external layer
that acts as a protective barrier against pesticide treatments, making pest control a difficult task. The
importer fumigated the shipment of persimmons.
CBP agriculture specialists work closely with the USDA to protect U.S. agriculture resources against the
introduction of foreign plants, plant pests, and animal diseases. On a typical day, CBP agriculture
specialists inspect tens of thousands of international air passengers, plus air and sea cargo.
ILLINOIS
http://www.wifr.com/home/headlines/Emerald-Ash-Borer-Killing-Trees-at-Local-Cemetery-285149131.html
Emerald Ash Borer Killing Trees at Local
Cemetery
By WIFR Newsroom (IL), Mon 5:56 PM, Dec 08, 2014
The Emerald Ash Borer has been a problem in parts the Stateline for years and now the pest is infesting
an area cemetery.
BELVIDERE– The Emerald Ash Borer has been a problem in parts the Stateline for years and now the pest
is infesting an area cemetery.
The tree-killing bug has killed the entire population of Ash trees at the Belvidere cemetery. Dozens of
trees have already been removed and 22 larger trees will be removed this winter at a cost of nearly
$20,000. The changes have been noticed by many visitors and they are looking forward to the return of
healthy, green trees.
“If I’m out with a family for a funeral, how sad it is that they can see, it’s visual, that they can see the
trees are gone, so that makes a difference,” said Belvidere Cemetery caretaker, Sam Larson.
The Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Illinois in 2006 in Kane County and has since spread to
DeKalb, Ogle, Boone, and Winnebago Counties here in the Stateline.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/letters/chi-the-forest-preserves-are-nature-havens20141209-story.html
The Forest Preserves are nature havens
Chicago Tribune (IL), 120914
It would be great if Cook County became even more resplendent with green and pristine forest
preserves. These nature havens must be replete with a vast array of wildlife species, trees, flowers,
plants and marine habitats wherein fish can flourish. The Forest Preserves of Cook County provide an
opportunity for wildlife conservationists to find refuge for so many creatures that have been displaced
by development. This includes raccoons, opossums, skunks, deer, coyotes, birds, chipmunks, fish and
certain rodents.
The preserves can be conducive for both human recreation and ecological preservation.
— Brien Comerford, Glenview
MICHIGAN
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/michigan-dnr-warns-oak-wilt-tree-disease-is-spreading-acrossstate/30140408
Michigan DNR warns oak wilt tree disease is
spreading across state
Oak wilt is new threat to Michigan trees
Rod Meloni Click on Detroit, Dec 09 2014 05:11:06 PM EST
BRIGHTON, Mich. - Oak wilt is a fungus and a quick tree killer which shows up between April 15 and July
15.
It first appears as a gray clump on injured bark called a "pressure pad." It also splits the bark. The disease
is apparent when a tree's leaves change color months too early.
"Red oak trees go from being perfectly healthy in the spring time to being dead within two weeks time
often," said Roger Mech.
Mech is a forest health specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. He said oak wilt is
moving across the state of Michigan at an alarming rate -- similar to the emerald ash borer.
"It smells a lot like Juicy Fruit gum, believe it or not, and it attracts sap-feeding insects. Those insects
come in. They chew on those spore-producing pads. They fly off, they look for more sap and fresh sap to
feed on," said Mech.
The best way for you to prevent its spread is not to move firewood from your property, whether you
have red oak or not.
"The firewood cut from infected trees forms spores and those spores can be moved very easily on
firewood and when it's stacked, if it's stacked near -- probably within a mile or two of red oak -- that red
oak becomes at-risk," said Mech.
Unlike the ash borer, the state of Michigan can prevent the spread of oak wilt by using cable-laying
equipment and slapping a 5-foot blade on the back which cuts the root connections between trees. The
trees inside the circle the blade cuts are cut down and burned.
The state of Michigan is working to save its trees in its forests but doesn't have the budget to help you
with yours. There is a chemical you can inject into your trees that might save them but you need to hire
an arborist to do that.
http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/12/ann_arbor_deer_management_city.html
Ann Arbor deer management: City criticized
for survey stating killing is most effective
option
A deer eats leaves in the Nichols Arboretum on Friday, Aug. 15, 2014, in Ann Arbor. (Katie McLean |
The Ann Arbor News)
Ryan Stanton MLive.com (MI), December 10, 2014 at 5:33 AM
ANN ARBOR DEER POPULATION
Ann Arbor deer management: City criticized for survey stating killing is most effective option
Arb and Botanical Gardens seeing 'dramatic increase' in damage to plants by deer
Emotions high as Ann Arbor considers options for controlling urban deer population
Ann Arbor to pick method of deer population management in public process
Oh, deer: 50 car crashes caused by Ann Arbor herd in 2013
A new online survey being circulated by the city of Ann Arbor seeks public input on options for managing
the local deer population, including lethal and nonlethal methods.
But a statement that's repeated multiple times in the survey has some arguing the city appears to be
biased in favor of killing.
"Research concludes that lethal removal measures are most effective for managing a deer population,"
three of the survey questions start out by stating.
"I think this is a blatant attempt by the city to produce the results they want, which is to kill deer," said
Ann Arbor resident Jeri Schneider.
The Human Society of Huron Valley is among those crying foul, arguing it's inappropriate to include such
a leading statement in a survey.
"We also complained because they are clearly biased questions that no professional surveyor would
write," said HSHV President Tanya Hilgendorf.
"We believe there are also compelling studies supporting humane approaches and other evidence that
shows that the 'rebound effect' from culling makes it a temporary fix that must be repeated every year,"
Hilgendorf said.
The deer survey is still open through Jan. 2. The city will be holding a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at
Huron High School to seek public input on the deer issue.
Sumedh Bahl, the city's community services area administrator, said people on both sides of the issue
will have an opportunity to voice opinions at the meeting.
As for concerns about the survey, Bahl released a written statement via email on Tuesday saying the city
has decided to not use the data from the survey results for the three questions that started with the
leading statement.
"While we were developing the survey, information indicated in this direction. However, we have
decided to eliminate the data from the questions that start with 'research concludes' and this data will
not be used," Bahl wrote. "This survey will conclude on Jan 2. Any future surveys would not include this
language."
Hilgendorf said she's glad the city is being responsive to the concerns, but she's still concerned the
survey itself, which remains up on the city's website with the leading statement still repeated three
times, may sway public opinion before the community has had a chance to review all of the options and
information.
The City Council took action Aug. 18 to appropriate $20,000 to develop what city officials hope will be a
community-endorsed deer management plan. The council's action followed concerns from residents
about a perceived increase in the deer population, including concerns about deer-vehicle crashes and
damage to plants and gardens.
If the city decides to use lethal methods, a cull could be scheduled for fall 2015 with Michigan
Department of Natural Resources approval.
City Administrator Steve Powers released a 14-page report on the city's deer management options on
Aug. 14. Possible methods include fencing, repellants, planting of deer-resistant landscaping, a city ban
on deer feeding, fertility control, sterilization, trapping and relocating, euthanizing, and hunting or hiring
sharpshooters.
Fertility control, sterilization, and trapping and relocating are not currently allowed by the DNR in
Michigan.
The city estimates it could cost $25,000 to $27,000 to "harvest," meaning kill, 40 to 50 deer each year.
There were 31 deer-vehicle crashes in the city in 2004, 35 in 2005, 28 in 2006, 35 in 2007, 30 in 2008, 44
in 2009, 54 in 2010, 42 in 2011, 45 in 2012 and 50 in 2013.
Schneider, who doesn't want to see the deer killed, said she has analyzed the crash data for the past 10
years.
While the number of deer-vehicle crashes has gone up, she said, it has remained relatively flat as a
percentage of total crashes of all kinds, which have gone up.
Deer-vehicle crashes have accounted for between 1 and 2 percent of all crashes in Ann Arbor each year
for the past decade.
A group called Washtenaw Citizens for Ecological Balance argues deer are causing damage to the local
ecosystem. It argues the destruction of trees, shrubs and flowers means a reduction in habitat for other
animals, including birds, butterflies and bees, and an opportunity for invasive plants to gain a stronger
foothold.
Hilgendorf said whitetail deer are great survivors and reproduce based on the amount of food available.
"Put a hole in the herd population and it will trigger higher birthrates and also allow room for new
'neighbors,' deer from other areas, to move in," she said.
Tim Payne, the Southeast Michigan regional wildlife manager for the DNR's Wildlife Division, said in May
the city's options include everything from repellants to killing.
As for using contraceptive methods to render deer infertile, an idea that's also been discussed, Payne
said that might not be the most effective approach, and it's also not currently allowed in the state of
Michigan.
"If you're dealing with a free-roaming population, it's not going to be a good solution long-term," he
said. "You've got deer moving in and out and moving all over and you just aren't able to significantly
impact that population."
There are other communities in Michigan that have had concerns about deer and discussed
contraceptive methods, but in the end they've always determined it wasn't a viable approach and
instead went with killing the deer, Payne said.