Emerald Ash Borer advances across more Missouri Counties

Emerald ash borer (EAB) infestations have been detected for the first time in 12 Missouri counties this spring. In southeastern Missouri, EAB was detected in Carter, Dent, Iron, Phelps, Ripley, Shannon, Stoddard, St. Francois, St. Genevieve, and Texas counties. The addition of those counties to previously known infestations results in a contiguous block of 18 EAB positive counties in that part of the state. 

EAB was also detected for the first time this spring in Clinton and Ray counties, adding to the four other Missouri counties and five Kansas counties with EAB infestations in the vicinity of Kansas City and St. Joseph. Other infestations are present in the St. Louis and Hannibal areas. A total of 27 counties are now known to have EAB infestations across Missouri.

The big jump in number of EAB detections this year is largely due to an increased effort by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) visually surveying for infestations in southeast Missouri. The USDA and Missouri Department of Agriculture are also monitoring EAB traps in many counties throughout the state to detect additional infestations.

EAB populations can expand slowly on their own to new areas, but the primary way that EAB spreads quickly is by movement of firewood. As the number of EAB infestations increases, the risk of EAB hitchhiking on firewood increases. To slow the spread of EAB and other invasive forest pests, don’t move firewood. Buy it near where you burn it!

You can prepare for EAB’s arrival by knowing the signs of an EAB infestation. Report EAB suspects if they’re in a new county where EAB has not yet been found. And start planning how you can manage EAB infestations when they arrive in your community. For more information see: eab.missouri.edu

MDC to give away seedlings at KC Arbor Day event April 18

Arbor Day celebrates trees and the spring planting season. 

For information on tree planting and care, 

visit http://mdc.mo.gov/node/3321.

                     Missouri Department of Conservation photo

Healthy Trees for Life Arbor Day celebration will be in KC's Loose Park

Kansas City, Mo. – Missouri State Forester Lisa Allen will be among the speakers at the Healthy Trees for Life Arbor Day celebration 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Loose Park, 55th and Summit Streets. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is a partner of the free event, hosted by Kansas City Parks & Recreation, and will give away swamp white oak seedling trees at the event. Allen is the MDC Forestry Division Chief.

   Presentations at the Arbor Day event will give area residents a chance to learn ways to keep trees healthy, how trees benefit people and wildlife, and what threats trees face from disease or invasive species such as emerald ash borer. Family fun activities will be offered such as kids’ scavenger hunt and free giveaways. Kansas City will be honored as a TreeCity_USA for its commitment to healthy trees. Arbor Day Foundation President Dan Lambe is scheduled to attend.

   Spring is a good time to plant trees and give them a chance to adapt before the summer stress of hot weather. Arbor Day celebrates the value of trees, the planting season and proper care for trees. MDC foresters encourage property owners to plant native trees. They’re adapted to local soils and climate, and they’re good for butterflies, birds and other wildlife.

   For more information on tree care, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/3321.  The Heartland Tree Alliance, an MDC partner, provides information about trees that do well specifically in the Kansas City area at https://www.bridgingthegap.org/heartland-tree-alliance. A useful source for information about native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and trees is available athttp://www.grownative.org.

Emerald Ash Borer Management Guide now available!

The new Emerald Ash Borer Management Guide for Missouri Homeowners is now availablemdc.mo.gov/node/30462. The guide includes a 2-page flowchart to assist homeowners in making decisions about emerald ash borer (EAB) management for their trees, a table of available treatments with tips on timing applications, and some important cautions about water quality and pollinator concerns relating to insecticide applications.

online at

I have an ash tree. What should I do?

EAB will eventually be found throughout Missouri, killing most ash trees not protected with insecticide. However, not all ash trees are good candidates for treatments. The location, health, and form of a tree all play a role in the decision to either remove the tree or to protect it from EAB. It’s important to remember that using insecticides to protect trees from EAB is a long-term commitment that requires periodic treatments over many years. Treatments aren’t recommended until EAB has been found in your county or within 15 miles of your location (see map at eab.missouri.edu). For detailed information on insecticide treatments and a helpful decision guide, refer to the Management Guide.

What should I do if I think I’ve discovered EAB in an ash tree?

If you live in a county where EAB has not been detected (see map at eab.missouri.edu), please report your find by calling the EAB Hotline at 1-866-716-9974 or by filling out the reporting form at eab.missouri.edu. If you live in a county known to have EAB, consult theManagement Guide for more information on managing this pest.

EAB adults are generally seen from mid-May through July. They leave D-shaped exit holes about 1/8” wide. Photo credit: Phil Nixon, University of Illinois

Missouri Forest Health Update: 2014 Summary

As we cope with the frigid weather at the start of the new year, here is a review of some of the major forest health events from warmer times in 2014. The December 2014 edition of ourMissouri Forest Health Update newsletter, along with previous issues, is now available athttp://mdc.mo.gov/node/12746.

Topics in the new issue include:

• Emerald ash borer & its known locations in Missouri
• Thousand cankers disease & recent survey efforts
• An update on rapid white oak mortality research 
• Updates on other insects & diseases

Rapid white oak mortality pocket at Huzzah Conservation Area in Crawford County, Missouri. Photo: courtesy of MDC.

Related articles

• St. Louis suburbs prepare for ash borer invasion (fox2now.com)
• Deadly fungus targets oak trees across northern Michigan (upnorthlive.com)

Missourians asked to celebrate freedom from invasive species July 4

Protect the state’s native species from invaders such as the zebra mussel, emerald ash borer and others.

 

Written by Rebecca Maples, MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Under threat of attack, people rally in defense of their homeland. That is exactly what the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is asking citizens to do as they head to the great outdoors for Independence Day weekend.

“Not too many years ago, you could travel around the country without too much thought about spreading pests that could devastate our natural world,” said MDC Invasive Species Coordinator Tim Banek. “Today, we need everyone to be aware of invasive species when they travel, even short distances.”

Don’t move a mussel

By: MDC Staff

Two prime examples, said Banek, are the zebra mussel and the emerald ash borer (EAB). Neither was found in Missouri 20 years ago. Both now have footholds here and require constant vigilance by boaters, anglers, hunters and campers to limit their spread.

In the case of zebra mussels, preventive measures start by knowing where the fingernail-sized, black-and-white mollusks already are established. Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Reservoir, Lake of the Ozarks, Lake Lotawana, the Osage, Missouri and Mississippi rivers and the mouth of the Meramec River all are known to harbor the prolific mussels.

Boaters and anglers who use their boats in more than one lake or stream are urged to remove any clinging vegetation, drain and inspect boats and trailers for zebra mussels and allow them to dry for at least five days before re-launching in a new location. Flushing live wells, bilges and motor cooling systems with hot water or chlorine bleach also is important.

Don’t move firewood
The EAB is a green beetle that has caused millions of dollars of damage across the Northeastern United States and the Upper Midwest by killing ash trees. Its habit of tunneling beneath tree bark, coupled with Americans’ love of camping and campfires, has caused the pest to spread more rapidly than it might have otherwise. Campers who take firewood with them from home or from one campsite to another can carry EAB larvae, which emerge and infest new areas.
Campers can avoid spreading EABs – along with other forest pests or diseases such as the gypsy moth and thousand-cankers disease of black walnut trees – by obtaining firewood in areas where they camp and burning it all before leaving. Even moving firewood from one campground to another in the same neighborhood can spread parasites and diseases. Campers who accidentally move firewood should burn it immediately.
For more information about emerald ash borers, visit www.MissouriConservation.org and search “EAB” or call 866-716-9974. The Missouri Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer Team also has an emerald ash borer newsletter, Borer Bite, which is available at www.eab.missouri.edu and on request from joanie.straub@mdc.mo.gov.
Don’t dump bait
Even Missourians who plan close-to-home “staycations” can unwittingly contribute to invasive species problems. An excellent example is taking fishing bait from one place to another.
“Most people would never dream that catching crayfish in a pond or stream near home and taking them to a fishing spot a few miles away could cause serious ecological problems, but it can,” said Banek. “Different crayfish species have very specific distributions. Moving one species into the next watershed can put larger, more aggressive crayfish in competition with native crayfish and crowd them out. Over time, that leads to loss of biological diversity and undermines the stability of aquatic ecosystems.”

Worms, minnows, crickets and other bait purchased from bait shops also pose potential threats to Missouri’s wild resources. Banek urges anglers never to dump leftover bait.
“Just about everyone has thrown live worms or minnows into the water at the end of a fishing trip, thinking they will feed the fish, but we know better now,” Banek said. “Invasive species sometimes slip into the bait supply chain, and once they are loose they can multiply.”
He said the same is true of worms, which sometimes are imported from as far away as Canada.
“The only safe thing to do with live bait is to send it to the landfill,” Banek said. “If there is a receptacle with a plastic bag at the boat ramp, you can put unused bait there. Otherwise, take it home and put it out with the rest of your trash.”
You can find more information about how to prevent the spread of invasive species by visiting www.MissouriConservation.org and searching “Invasive Species.”

Missourians Asked to Celebrate Freedom from Invasive Species July 4

Exotic plants and animals threaten America’s way of outdoor life.

JEFFERSON CITY–Under threat of attack, people rally in defense of their homeland. That is exactly what the Missouri Department of Conservation is asking citizens to do as they head to the great outdoors for Independence Day weekend.

 “Not too many years ago, you could travel around the country without too much thought about spreading pests that could devastate our natural world,” said Invasive Species Coordinator Tim Banek. “Today, we need everyone to be aware of invasive species when they travel, even short distances.”

Two prime examples, said Banek, are the zebra mussel and the emerald ash borer. Neither was found in Missouri 20 years ago. Both now have footholds here and require constant vigilance by boaters, anglers, hunters and campers to limit their spread.

In the case of the zebra mussels, preventive measures start by knowing where the fingernail-sized, black and white mollusks already are established. Lake Taneycomo, Bull Shoals Reservoir, Lake of the Ozarks, Pomme de Terre Lake, Lake Lotawana, the Osage, Missouri and Mississippi rivers and the mouth of the Meramec River all are known to harbor the prolific mussels.

Boaters and anglers who use their boats in more than one lake or stream are urged to remove any clinging vegetation, drain and inspect boats and trailers for zebra mussels and allow them to dry for at least five days before relaunching in a new location. Flushing live wells, bilges and motor cooling systems with hot water or chlorine bleach also is important. More information about zebra mussel prevention is available at invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/main.shtml.

The emerald ash borer is a green beetle that has caused millions of dollars of damage in forests across the Northeastern United States and the Upper Midwest. Its habit of tunneling beneath tree bark, coupled with Americans’ love of camping and campfires, has caused the pest to spread more rapidly than it might have otherwise. Campers who take firewood with them from one campsite to another can carry emerald ash borer larvae, which emerge and infest new areas.

Campers can avoid spreading emerald ash borers – along with other forest pests or diseases like the gypsy moth and the thousand-cankers disease of black walnut trees – by obtaining firewood in areas where they camp and burning it all before leaving. Even moving firewood from one campground to another in the same neighborhood can spread parasites and diseases. Campers who accidentally move firewood should burn it immediately.

For more information about emerald ash borers, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/firewood, or call 866-716-9974. The Missouri Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer Team also has an emerald ash borer newsletter, Borer Bite, which is available on request from joanie.straub@mdc.mo.gov. The newsletter also will be available at www.eab.missouri.edu in the near future.

Even Missourians who plan close-to-home “staycations” can unwittingly contribute to invasive species problems. An excellent example is taking fishing bait from one place to another.

“Most people would never dream that catching crayfish in a pond or stream near home and taking them to a fishing spot a few miles away could cause serious ecological problems, but it can,” said Banek. “Different crayfish species have very specific distributions. Moving one species into the next watershed can put larger, more aggressive crayfish in competition with the native crayfish and crowd them out. Over time, that leads to loss of biological diversity and undermines the stability of aquatic ecosystems.”

Worms, minnows, crickets and other bait purchased from bait shops also pose potential threats to Missouri’s wild resources. Banek urges anglers never to dump leftover bait.

“Just about everyone has thrown live worms or minnows into the water at the end of a fishing trip, thinking they will feed the fish, but we know better now. Invasive species sometimes slip into the bait supply chain and once they are loose, they can multiply.”

He said the same is true of worms, which sometimes are imported from as far away as Canada.

“The only safe thing to do with live bait is to send it to the landfill,” said Banek. “If there is a receptacle with a plastic bag at the boat ramp, you can put unused bait there. Otherwise, take it home and put it out with the rest of your trash.”

You can find more information about how to prevent the spread of invasive species at mdc.mo.gov/landown/invasive.htm.

-Jim Low-

MISSOURI PUBLIC LANDS HUNTING
CAMPING IN MISSOURI'S WILDERNESS AREAS
MISSOURI TROUT FISHING