On November 28, The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will have a new State Apiarist! Jennifer Lund from the University of Maine comes to the Department with a Master’s degree in Entomology and over 15 years of entomological experience.  Jennifer started managing her own hives 8 years ago and was the primary hive manager for the Stationary Hive Project at the University of Maine.

Jennifer will take over the honeybee inspection program and help Maine beekeepers protect their hives. The Apiary program helps prevent the introduction and spread of regulated honey bee diseases, parasites, and undesirable genetic material in resident and migratory honey bee colonies. It also helps facilitate the movement of honey bees for crop pollination and honey production.

Jennifer is passionate about honeybee health and helping beekeepers succeed. Growers, commercial and hobby beekeepers, and anyone that is interested in honeybee health will be impressed with Jennifer’s knowledge and dedication.

Welcome Jennifer!

If you are seeing small brown moths flying around this time of year, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry’s Forest Service would like to know!  They could be "winter moths", which are invasive and have caused heavy defoliation and tree mortality in many areas of New England.  Winter moth currently is established in many towns along southern and coastal Maine, and there is evidence that it is spreading.

In order for Maine to track the severity and spread of winter moth populations, the Forest Service is seeking assistance from the public to report winter moth sightings through its online survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/winter_moth_survey_16_17

To learn more about winter moth, visit the Forest Service website. 

Browntail moth is another invasive insect that defoliates trees but can also cause severe skin rashes, and sometimes breathing problems. The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry recently recorded a webinar that gives the history of browntail moth and what you can do to reduce the impacts of this pest.

This time of year, look for their white, silken nests on tips of branches of hardwood trees and ornamental shrubs such as oak, apple, crab apple and rugosa rose. Clip overwintering webs off small trees and shrubs and destroy them by soaking in soapy water or burning them. Infestations that cannot be controlled by removing winter webs may need to be controlled with a targeted pesticide application in May. 

To learn more, visit the Forest Service webpage on browntail moth.  

Although still not found in Maine, the emerald ash borer has been discovered in 5 new states this year - Alabama, Delaware, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas, bringing the total number of states with EAB to 30.

This winter, many Maine landowners and volunteers will be peeling sections of ash trees that were used as trap trees to help with early detection of EAB.  Let's hope no EAB are found.

Looking for a holiday gift?

Consider buying a book - a gift that keeps on giving!  Two options are available, written and illustrated by school children while learning about two destructive invasive forest pests - 

• "Look Out Maine, Here I Come", about the Asian longhorned beetle, written and illustrated by the 5th grade students of the China Middle School;
• "Here Come The Beetles: Asian Invasion", about the emerald ash borer, written and illustrated by the 4th grade students of Cascade Brooks Elementary School.

Both are available at Amazon, and proceeds from the sales benefit the outdoor classrooms at the respective schools to further forestry education.

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry is proposing amendments to CMR 01-001 Chapter 273: Criteria For Listing Invasive Terrestrial Plants.  The proposed amendments to Chapter 273 will make it illegal to import, export, buy, sell, or propagate any living and viable portion of any listed plant species, including all of their cultivars, varieties and hybrids. It will allow for the sale of plants that are already growing or in the channels of trade at the time the rule is adopted until December 31, 2017.

A public hearing is scheduled for December 8, 2016, 9:30 – 12:30 PM at the Marquardt Building, 32 Blossom Lane, Room 118 in Augusta, Maine.  Please enter through door D7 on the east side of the building.

If you cannot attend the hearing, written comments will be accepted until COB on Friday, December 16, 2016.  Submit written comments by email to gary.fish@maine.gov or mail to: Division of Animal and Plant Health, 28 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333

For background information on the rule, visit the Horticulture newsletter.