C22—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, June 13,1981
Tree protection and
Unseen borers kill trees
COLLEGE PARK, MD - It’s not
always the bugs you see on leaves
that are damaging your shrubs and
trees. Sometimes, a group of
internally feeding insects.- known
collectively as borers destruct
from beneath the ground, working
chiefly on the vital cambium, or
“living bark” of trunk and root
systems.
May and June are the months for
borers to be active - and this is
also the time to take control
measures, says Dr. R. Lee
Heilman, Extension insect
specialist and associate professor
of entomology at the University of
Maryland.
Dr. Heilman reports that insect
traps indicate an especially high
number of lilac borers throughout
the state this year. Sample counts
also indicate fairly high
populations of dogwood, peachtree
and rhododendron borers.
Fruit and shade trees, as well as
several kinds of ornamental ~
shrubs, suffer severely as the
borer larvae eat the succulent
tissues of the swelling cambium
layer.
The borer larvae emerge during
May and June from eggs laid at the
base of trees and shurbs. As they
begin feeding, they are tiny white
.'I *.i 7»
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(717)354-4125
(717)442-4148
Blue Ball
Gap
worms, about 1/16 of an inch long,
with brown heads. They im
mediately begin tunneling through
the bark to the trunk and root
system. Mature larvae reach
about one inch in length.
The borer larvae return to the
outer bark surface in about three
weeks to pupate and emerge as
moths. Some species may produce
more than one generation per
year.
The adult borer is a clear wing
moth, wasp-like in appearance. It
is the larval stage, however, (wheri
the borer is under the bark and
unseen) - thatthis pest causes the
most damage to shrubs and trees.
“If a tree or shrub looks
unhealthy, check its base,”
recommends Dr. Heilman.
Symptoms include small leaves,
dead limbs or large areas dying
out.
Signs of borer activity'include
loose bark, sawdust, or telltale
tunnels and chambers under the
loose bark. If you spot such
evidence, cut or dig until the
larvae are exposed.
It may be that the tree or shrub
in question is beyond saving; but
other plants in your yard may still
be treated successfully. So check
them, too. A preventive approach
The satisfaction that comes
from doing a good job
of farming
Liming is one of the most important factors
in keeping your soil in the highest
productive range By raising the pH from a
level below 6 0 to 6 5 or higher, you can
expect to harvest as much as 5 more
bushels of corn per acre, with similar
increases for all other forage and cash
crops
Martin
UMESTOME
from below
before borer damage occurs
is really the mos: effective, the
Maryland Extension specialist
maintains.
Recommended insecticides for
borer control vary with the type of
plant to be treated. All such
chemical materials should be
sprayed or painted on trees or
shrubs in accordance with label
directions. Here are some
examples:
—For dogwood borers, apply
Thiodan (endosulfan) or lindane to
the trunk in early May, early June
and early July,
—For Lilac borers, apply
Dursban, Thiodan or lindane on the
bark, trunk, large branches and
wounds at 3-week intervals from
early April to early June.
—For peachtree borers, apply
lindane from mid-May through
mid-July, wetting the trunk and
ground thoroughly.
Additional information on pest
control in yards and gardens is
available from county offices of
the Cooperative Extension Ser
vice.
Look Who's Coming To Dinner
TENT CATERPILLERS
Protect your trees and shrubs against
these pests now. No obligation. Call for a
free inspection.
(Also call for lawn care services)
397-3721
SINCE 192* TREE FERTILIZING
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utilization
Carpenter bees
are out in force
NEWARK, Del. - “This is the
worst year for carpenter bees I’ve
ever seen,” says University of
Delaware extension entomologist
Frank Boys. These pests always
beconie active in spring, but they
are especially bad this year.
People are finding carpenter game to carpenter bees, especially
bees flying erratically near the if the wood is old. The surest
eaves and gables of their homes.' control method, of course, is to
These bees tend to nest in porches, select alternative building
garages, shed ceilings, railings, materials such as aluminum or
roof overhangs and outdoor asphalt. Keeping wooden surfaces
wooden furniture. Often the same 1 painted is also a - deterrent to at
nesting sites are used over again. tack. - - _
Carpenter bees are often A ftve_-percent Sevin dust
mistaken for - bumblebees, but directed into the nest opening side
there are differences. Like aids in control. Treat openings
bumblebees, carpenter bees are after dark on a cool evening when
large (one-half inch to an inch the bees are less active. A battery
long), but bumblebees have black filler, plastic squeeze bottle, or
and yellow or black and orange other device can be used to apply
body markings, while carpenter the dust. If you are unable to reach
bees are entirely black and shiny. the hole to apply dust, wasp and
Male carpenter bees are unable hornet aerosols - which project the
to sting, and the females rarely do. spray several feet - are effective
Still, that doesn’t mean they are and easy to use.
harmless. These bees damage Do not plug up holes! Allow the
wood rather than people. They bees to pass-freely through the
don’t eat the wood; they tunnel gallery entrance. They will contact
through to build homes in which to the dust and distribute it the
rear their young. tunnels. Also, the newly matured
While a single carpenter bee bees will contact the dust placed
can’t do much damage, a number there. Holes can later be filled with
of bees are certain to cause con- plastic wood or caulked and then
painted.
siderable structural damage over
a period of years. You know the
situation is serious when you begin
to notice a number of holes about
half an inch in diameter in exposed
wood trim.
Any wooden structure is fair
EAR CORN
Paying Top Prices For
Good Quality Ear Corn
Wet or Dry
No Quantity too large
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Easy access - 2.2
miles off 283 bypass-
Manheim, Mt. Joy 1
exit
Daily Receiving 7:30
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loading evenings &
Saturdays by appt.
Trucks available for
pick up at your farm.
Call Anytime For Price
717-665-4785
JAMES E. NOLL GRAIN