The emerald ash borer is now found in the St. John Valley and in York County. Beetle larvae feed under tree bark, pupae overwinter in the wood, and the tiny adults emerge in spring leaving D-shaped exit holes. (Photo courtesy Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry)
Invasive forest pests like the emerald ash borer and hemlock woolly adelgid are already having devastating impacts on Maine’s forests; browntail moth is affecting human health as well as tree health; and Asian long-horned beetle, with a large host range, could be the next invader on the horizon.
On Saturday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to noon, Hildy Ellis, of Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District, will present a free program about these invaders at Merryspring Nature Center in Camden as part of a Saturday workshop series.
Using slides and an outdoor tree-ID walk, this workshop will help landowners and users, as well as landscape and forestry professionals, learn to:
• identify current and potential invasive forest pests and their host species
• understand the threats to forests and woodlands posed by these pests
• limit their spread
• report suspected pest sightings or damage to trees that may be a result of pest infestations
All participants will receive an information packet with fact sheets about the major pest species, a list of host trees that the species might be found on, how to make decisions about treatment, current quarantine information for emerald ash borer in Maine, and other relevant information. The following recertification credits are pending for this program: Professional CFE credits by the Society of American Foresters. Category 1-CF: 2.0; and Pesticide Applicator credits by the Board of Pesticides Control: 2.0.
Knox-Lincoln Soil & Water Conservation District, a member of the Maine Association of Conservation Districts, is presenting Invasive Forest Pest outreach programs through a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry. Materials are funded in part by a cooperative agreement from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. More information about invasive forest pests in Maine can be found at maine.gov/dacf/mfs/forest_health/invasive_threats/index.htm.
For more information and to RSVP for this free workshop, visit knox-lincoln.org/invasive-forest-pests, or contact Julie at 596-2040 or julie@knox-lincoln.org.
