APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

Cottony Camellia Scale on China Holly

University of Kentucky Department of Entomology Office of the State Entomologist S-225 Ag Science Ctr—N Lexington, KY 40546-0091 Phone: (859) 257-5838 Fax: (859) 257-3807

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FIRE BLIGHT RISK

COTTONY CAMELLIA SCALE PAGE 3

EASTERN TENT CATERPILLAR

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INSPECTOR FINDINGS IN KENTUCKY

APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

Fire Blight Alert and Risk Map Overview BY NICOLE WARD GAUTHIER, EXTENSION SPECIALIST & KIMBERLY LEONBERGER, EXTENSION ASSOCIATE, UK

Apple trees are beginning to bloom and many pear are in full bloom across Kentucky. Infection by the fire blight bacterium occurs during bloom, thus, protectant antibiotics should be applied when risk is high.

Risk for infection can be assessed using the Fire Blight Disease Prediction Model. Growers can assess local risk by selecting their county and orchard history. This model incorporates the previous 4 days of weather data plus adds a 7-day forecast for estimating leaf wetness and temperature (thereby estimating risk for bacterial growth and infection). There are 66 Mesonet weather stations throughout Kentucky, thus, weather information for the model is based on data from the closest weather station. For a mobile (phone or tablet) friendly version of this site, visit http://weather.uky.edu/dim.html.

Remember that apple and pear trees must be in bloom for predictions to be accurate. The map overview below (Figure 1) indicates fire blight risk as of March 29, 2016. According to the current assessment, risk is low or marginal throughout the

state. Growers are encouraged to check the model regularly for the most accurate analyses and county-specific forecasts.

! Figure 1: Fire blight risk for Kentucky

counties as of March 29, 2016.

Information regarding prevention and management of fire blight can be found in: • Commercial Fruit Pest

Management Guide (ID-232) • Backyard Apple Disease

Management Using Cultural Practices (PPFS-FR-T-21)

• Fire blight (PPFS-FR-T-12) • Fire blight of Apple (Video)

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APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

Cottony Camellia Scale - Shrubs BY UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EXTENSION

Cottony camellia scale is a soft scale that feeds on camellia, holly, yew, euonymus, sweetbox, and maple. It is also reported on beautyberry, jasmine, mulberry, and hydrangea.

Adult females are about 1/8 inch long, oval and yellowish tan with a brown margin. They lay white cottony ovisacs (eggmasses) on the undersides of leaves in May. Crawlers hatch through June and remain on the undersides of the leaves through winter.

Heavy infestations in the spring may cause the leaves to turn light green. Honeydew (a sticky substance produced by the scale insects as they feed) and sooty mold (a black fungus that grows on top of the honeydew, see photo below) are the primary problem caused by this insect.

If infestations are heavy and sooty mold is objectionable, spray horticultural oil in the dormant season.

During the growing season use horticultural soap or oil to conserve beneficials. Office Update

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APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Egg Hatch Is Underway BY LEE TOWNSEND, EXTENSION ENTOMOLOGIST, UK

Eastern tent caterpillar (ETC) eggs, which were laid last June, are hatching just as leaf buds are swelling on wild cherry trees. Newly hatched eggs are easy to identify by the small holes that the tiny larvae chew as they make their exit. The small caterpillars will stay near their egg mass for a short time before moving to feed on expanding leaves. Eggs will continue to hatch through early April; caterpillars will be active for the next 4 to 5 weeks.

ETC grow and develop as long as the temperature is above 37°F; the warmer it is, the faster they will grow. Cold temperatures will slow them down, but the tent and a general cold hardiness of the species

will keep them from being affected drastically, even if temperatures drop below freezing at night. ETC populations in the region appear to have been gradually increasing over the past few years, which can happen with many insects. It is too early to tell what the 2016 level will be, but it is normal for insects to be very abundant in some parts of a county and at moderate to low levels in others. In about 2 weeks, ETC tents should be about the size of baseballs and easy to spot in trees. If control measures are needed to reduce ETC numbers, steps should be taken before caterpillars leave their trees.

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Figure 1. Eastern tent caterpillar egg mass on wild cherry twig.

APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

Landscape Pest Calendar

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APRIL 2016 OFFICE OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST VOLUME XVIIII, ISSUE I

KYOSE Update BY KATIE JOYA, NURSERY INSPECTOR, UK

Spring is in full force, and so is the Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist. We’re gearing up for trapping and inspecting season and have already gotten our feet wet a little bit. Here’s a list of the surveys we’re doing this year with links to our CAPS (Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey) website where you can find out more information about the pests we’re looking for

Apple Orchard Survey Corn Grape Soybean Nursery Sudden Oak Death Thousand Cankers Disease Forest Pests in KY State Parks Gypsy Moth Imported Fire Ant Pine Shoot Beetle

Our State Survey Coordinator, Janet Lensing, has a lot more information on our CAPS website. If you want to know about current surveys, past surveys, or need pest fact sheets, please visit http://ky-caps.ca.uky.edu.

We hope everyone has a great 2016!

Dr. Reddy Palli, Ph.D: State Entomologist Joe Collins: joe.collins@uky.edu Pest surveys & nursery licenses

Carl Harper: carl.harper@uky.edu Slow-the-Spread gypsy moth trapping coordinator, phytosanitary certificates

Katie Joya: katie.joya@uky.edu Pest surveys, nursery inspections, newsletter editor

Jennie Condra: jennie.condra@uky.edu Outreach coordinator, nursery inspections, pest surveys

Janet Lensing, PhD: janet.lensing@uky.edu State Survey Coordinator

JD Loan: jdloan.1@juno.com Survey supervisor

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