Indiana Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 07/13/2022 07:55 AM EDT
Weekly Review for July 13, 2022
This informal report by the Division of Entomology & Plant Pathology is a commentary on insects, diseases, and curiosities division staff encounter on a week-to-week basis. Comments and questions about this report are welcome and can be sent to your respective Inspector.
Ren Hall (Nursery Inspector & Compliance Officer) - RHall@dnr.IN.gov
Japanese beetles in my district seem bad this year. I have been seeing a lot of adult beetles and extensive feeding damage on lindens, cherries, crabapples, elms, roses, and many more hosts. Last week I found a red oak covered in oak apple galls. I occasionally find one or two of these scattered on oaks, but I had never seen a single tree with a substantial number until then – the tree I saw had at least 40 galls. Lastly, I had a new find for me today in Tippecanoe County, the western conifer seed bug. I saw a handful of these on various conifers including spruce and pine at a nursery today.
Whiteflies are not typically a big deal on outdoor nursery stock, but they do pop up occasionally. With their black bodies and fringe of white wax filaments, I find the pupae interesting to look at. This population was on apples and maples.
So last week I said something about Japanese beetle not being very heavy this year. I might have to take that one back. So far, they seem to be intermittent – heavy in places and not so much elsewhere. I’ve seen some damage in vineyards and scattered landscapes, but I’m hearing some reports of heavier damage in isolated areas.
Finally, I was called out to look at some trees on a property. From the description, I was expecting disease issues. but I found an astounding level of herbicide damage on a wide range of vegetable plants. Given that the gardens were right next to a corn field, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. If you spray chemicals, check DriftWatch for sensitive sites. If you are organic, growing specialty crops, or have bee hives, sign up on DriftWatch! It won’t stop every pesticide drift problem, but it is a great place to start.
