If your house is covered with small pale moths near your porchlights at this time of year, then you have a wintermoth population.

The wintermoth, which so many of you know by the little green inchworm caterpillars that eat your trees in the springtime, is now in its adult form. They ended their pupation about 2 weeks ago, and are now mating. Pupation occurs from early June, when the larval caterpillars drop from the trees and bury themselves in the soil, until this time of year. The moth itself is not harmful to your landscape, but their conspicuous presence at night is unmistakeable.

This is a time of year where a "do-it-yourself" control can have some impact; the female moth is flightless, and must walk up the tree trunk to lay her eggs. You can trap her and prevent her brood from becoming the springtime nuisance by applying an effective bug barrier on your susceptible trees. This is accomplished by creating a solid, impenetrable barrier encircling the tree trunk- there are a few commercially available products at your local garden center or hardware store. To make the barrier most effective, apply a sticky substance to the barrier so the moth cannot move. One commonly available product is called tanglefoot. I have also seen some people use duct tape effectively as well. You will need to check your sticky barrier regularly too- if populations are high enough, you may need to reapply your sticker as the moths accumulate.

This will not be the answer to all your problems if you have had a significant wintermoth population in the past, but may be able to reduce populations a little bit. Foliar sprays still offer the best value and control for most landscape situations, but also emerging are microinjections. While this type of treatment may cost a bit more, it offers you the opportunity to address the problem in the fall, providing a better level of control in the spring. This is a great option for clients that are sensitive to chemicals, or have sensitive landscape areas such as vegetable gardens or koi ponds.

One last thing to remember, if you are looking for do-it-yourself options, be sure to select a product labelled for control of caterpillars, or lepidoptera. I have seen many people buy the wrong products at a garden center- always read the label! Products like horticultural oil will not control caterpillars once they have hatched. If you need to consult an arborist, we at Mayer Tree are always available to assist you.

Jeff

This is a great time of year to determine the health of a tree.

Trees spend the spring pushing out new leaves, then twig elongation with more new foliage occurs. The tree is using a lot of it's stored energy to do these things, and most trees can appear to be healthy and productive. As summer moves along toward fall, trees that are stressed or weakened may now begin to show signs of a problem.

If there is a question of a nutrient deficiency, it can be seen at this time. Certain missing nutrients can be observed by looking at particular discoloration patterns in the leaf. This is the time of year to perform a foliar nutrient analysis, if needed, by sending leaf samples to a diagnostic laboratory.

If your tree is looking like fall is already here, there may be a different problem. Trees that are stressed can start dropping their leaves in August, which is too early for "normal" fall abscission. A tree that is losing it's leaves now is likely stressed- it has suffered from drought injury, disease injury, or some other environmental problem. These specimens should now be evaluated by a competent arborist to see if a cause can be determined, and get the tree on a program to lead it on the path to recovery, if possible. Possible solutions could include bio-stimulant treatments, fertilization, microinjections, as well as some cultural relief such as increased watering, mulching (or removal of excess mulch), pruning, or many other options. Where as there are several possible problems, some of which may compound other symptoms, there may be several solution recommendations.

In the North Shore, many trees I have seen dropping leaves were drought stressed from last summer. Some have had foliar diseases that have weakened the leaves due to the very wet and cool spring we had this year, which was very conducive to disease infections. A hurricane/ tropical storm can also cause a lot of desiccation of the leaf, which could also lead to leaf loss. Crabapples, birches, and sugar maples are three species I tend to see dropping leaves early every year due to these types of problems.

If you feel that your trees are in fall while you are still in summer, it might be a good time to contact your certified arborist for a routine evaluation. Seeing trees now that are stressed can lead to the implementation of a program to put them on the road to recovery.

Jeff

Hurricane Irene, also known as tropical storm Irene in these parts, has come and gone. She left behind a sunny day and a bit of tree damage in her wake.

Damage to trees in the north shore was mild to moderate, depending on your location. From my observations, most of the trees and limbs that came down from the high winds were trees and limbs that I would have expected to come down. Some trees we can expect to fail in mild weather conditions, such as white pine, willow, red maple, or black locust, due to their softer wood or inherently poor structure. Other tree failures were caused by structural defects within the tree, such as a heavy lean, included bark, internal decay, or dead limbs.

In the wake of the storm, we have received numerous calls from homeowners that did not suffer any significant tree damage, in addition to those that did. These folks, realizing that they may have some potential tree problems, want us to come out to inspect their trees, and make any necessary recommendations, and deal with any problematic trees before the next big storm. Sometimes it is necessary to remove a healthy looking tree- we must remember that a tree's health is not a good reflection of it's structural integrity. A healthy tree can live with severe decay or other predisposed problems, which is why it is important to have a certified arborist periodically inspect your trees. This is important not only to improve the health of your trees, but to maintain the safety of your home and family.

Please contact Mayer Tree Service if you would like to learn more about hazardous trees, or to have a certified arborist meet with you to inspect your landscape for any potential problems.

Jeff

Hurricane Irene is heading to New England this weekend, and early reports are saying we could have winds up to and over 100 mph and upwards of 10 inches of rain, depending on where you live. So what should you do?

It is likely too late now to take any preventative steps toward protecting your trees from damaging winds, but we should be thinking about the future. Once we get past this storm, have a certified arborist from Mayer Tree Service stop by to inspect your trees- we are trained to spot defects and hazards that may not be apparent to the average homeowner. Knowing where potential problems are in your landscape, and addressing them in a timely fashion, could save you money, time, and a lot of frustration should a storm really hit the area hard.

In regards to Irene, we are expecting a high volume of calls during and after the storm. The phones have already been busy with municipalities looking to have us on alert. If you have an emergency, such as a tree went through your house or is posing an immediate threat to human life, we will prioritize those calls. If a tree has fallen in your backyard and is is not in the way of anything, then those calls will be answered and dealt with after the higher priority emergencies are resolved. We want to be sure that we can satisfy all of our valued clients, so we will address highest needs as they arise.

We apprecite your business, and hope that this storm does not hit us as hard as some have forcasted, but should you need us, don't hesitate to call!

I have heard that question a lot this year.

The answer is lichen, a fungal/algal growth that can be found growing on trees, rocks, sidewalks, roof shingles, and many other places that are relatively undisturbed.

Lichen does not root itself well, and can easily be displaced, which is probably why we don't see it growing in more places. It likes an undisturbed environment, and does not tolerate pollution very well, which might explain why it grows ubandantly in a forest.

So why does it grow on my tree or roof? Well, it's just a good place to grow.

Lichen does not cause any harm to your tree. It does not feed off the tree, not does it inject a toxin- it is purely a good anchorage point. I tend to see it more in shady areas- tree trunks, and rooftops that are under cover of tree limbs, as well as landscape rocks. Lichen is part fungus and part algae- while many lichens are a symbiotic relationship, some are saprophitic or parasitic.

I have also seen moss growing on trees as well. Like lichens, moss does not feed on the tree; however, there is the potential for large accumulations of moss to trap moisture against a tree, promoting decay or rot diseases. Moss is usually found in shady, damp areas of a property. Lately, moss has gained a lot of attention as a groundcover in the landscape- once it is established, it needs little to no maintenance, and lasts a long time.

If you are not sure of something that you find in your garden or see something weird growing on your trees, give us a ring!

Jeff

The last couple of weeks have prompted several calls from people in the area, thinking they may have found the Asian Longhorn Beetle. This pest has been responsible for the decline of thousands of trees, primarily in the Worcester area, and has spread to some neighboring communities and was even found in Boston last summer. Unfortunately, once a tree has been confirmed to have an ALB infestation, it must be removed. Close to 100,000 trees have been removed from the greater Worcester area in the past 2 years.

So what are people finding on the North Shore that has prompted so many calls? A native insect, the Whitespotted Sawyer, has been active as summer has arrived. this pest is remarkably similar to ALB, but there are some key differences. If you think you have found ALB, please contact your arborist, tree warden, or a public official to get a confirmation, as we do not want to see this pest spread into our region. Eradication is necessary to rid Massachusetts of this pest, so early detection is the key. Please check out the following site for more complete information and resources at www.massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/asianlonghorned.html.

I am available if you have questions about ALB, think you have found ALB or see the damage of ALB in your trees. Keep your eyes out for this pest and tell your neighbors too!

Jeff

There has been a lot of information in the media about ticks in the past few years, and I have observed high populations, and have heard similar reports from other landscape professionals this spring.

Ticks, primarily the deer tick, can carry and transmit Lyme disease. This disease can be quite debilitating to people and pets, causing many people to reduce their outdoor activities to reduce their exposure. At Mayer Tree Service, we can provide a solution for this pest.

Tretaments to your property can greatly reduce the tick population at your property. We have received several requests from new clients this year, so I want to continue to spread the word about treatment options. Traditional products will deliver a fast and effective knockdown, and we also offer organic options too for those that prefer more natural solutions, such as garlic juice and tick tubes.

Many people plan outdoor events during the spring, summer, and fall. Make your guests more comfortable by having a tick treatment done a day or two in advance of your party or wedding or cookout. These treatments are also effective where mosquitoes are a problem.

Mosquitoes can transmit Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus, as well as just being an annoyance to your outdoor living space. Targeted treatments for mosquitoes will drastically their populations.

Contact Mayer Tree Service to discuss a tick and/or mosquito treatment program with a certified arborist today!

Jeff

So we had so much rain this spring my trees are going to do really well this year, right? Well, yes and no.

Trees that are susceptible to the common diseases will likely see an increase in disease activity this year.

Rain is good for our trees, however, with all the wet weather we had this spring, and with the cool temperatures, fungal diseases are thriving now. When new foliage first emerges from the bud, is is very prone to fungal attack as the leaf is soft and without a protective cuticle layer. At this point it is easy for a fungal spore to penetrate the leaf's surface and begin an infection.

I have seen many diseases on deciduous trees this spring, including oak and dogwood anthracnose, scab and rust on apples and crabapples, leaf spot on birch, brown rot on cherry, and verticillium wilt on many Norway maples. Many evergreens are pushing out new growth now, and we will likely see lots of diplodia and ploioderma on hard pines, needlecast on spruce and fir, and phomopsis and other tip blights of juniper.

So what can I do now?

It may be too late to begin preventative fungicide treatments on deciduous trees, but treating evergreens now may be beneficial for this year. You should also consider overall tree health- keep the tree as vigorous as possible by treating with bio-stimulants and fertilization. Also, water your trees this summer when it becomes hot and dry to further reduce stress. At Mayer Tree Service, we are here to consult with you and make recommendations to promote the health of your landscape.

Jeff

Well what a spring we have had! The wintermoth caterpillar has come and gone, and in some areas left quite a wake of destruction. Areas that were hit hard included Boxford, Lynnfield, Topsfield, Saugus, Manchester, and others. I have seen many properties with 60 foot tall red oaks without a leaf on them. Complete defoliation. Red oak seemed to take the hardest hit this spring, while sugar maple and cherry also seemed to be preferred. Norway maples seemed to suffer less damage this year than in the past, although I'm not sure why this is. Anyone that had significant damage to their trees this spring from wintermoth caterpillar should get onto a treatment program for next year, as the pest will likely be back in higher numbers next spring. For now, the caterpillr has dropped to the ground to begin its pupation, until it emerges as an adult moth this fall.

So what do you do now? If your tree did suffer damage by the caterpillars, now is the time to consider some remedial action. The trees that were heavily damaged will need to refoliate. This causes a large drain of energy reserves from the tree, which can leave it susceptible to secondary invaders and pathogens. If the tree continues to get defoliated in the next 2-3 years, you may see the tree go into decline. Begin treating the tree(s) with a bio-stimulant now, to strengthen the root system. Water the tree(s) this summer when it gets hot and dry to reduce stress. A fertilization in the fall may be advised if the tree is not too stressed. Consult your certified arborist to inspect and diagnose your trees for a more complete forecast.

On the horizon for insect activity is our typical summer pests, like Japanese beetles, lacebugs, and spidermites. Since temperatures have been cool, these pests have not been very active yet, but keep scouting your shrubs and trees for these guys.

As always, Mayer Tree Service is here for your tree care needs.

Jeff

With the warmer temperature's, the insect activity in our landscapes have picked up. Wintermoth larvae are now 1-2 mm in length, still very small, but they are feeding and causing damage. I have seen heavy populations in Boxford, Manchester, Middleton, and Beverly. If you have not made arrangements for treatment, this would be a good time to call your arborist.

Other notable active pests observed: carpenter ants, mosquitos, ticks, and boxwood leafminer. Pine sawfly eggs are close to hatching as well, so watch your hard pines, such as mugo, red, Austrian, and scotch for these ravenous feeders.

Several evergreen trees and shrubs are still showing symptoms of winter damage. A certified arborist can help you assess the damage, and determine if they will recover.

Lastly, as you are preparing to lay down all that fresh new mulch- be careful not to put too much down at the base of your trees. I was recently at a property where the homeowner had applied too much over the past few years, and has trees that are dying. Too much mulch makes it difficult for a tree or shrub to get water and oxygen, which will stress them significantly and make secondary pests and pathogens more likely to target the tree. 1-2 inches at the base of the tree is sufficient, and 3-4 inches is acceptable away fron the tree's trunk.

As always, the Certified Arborists at Mayer Tree Service are here for you!

Jeff