How To Protect Trees From Insects and Pests In Texas

How To Protect Trees From Insects and Pests In Texas

Jul 21, 2021 | News

How To Protect Trees From Insects and Pests In Texas

We take pride in the fact that everything’s bigger in Texas, except when it comes to the insects that destroy our trees and urban forests. With a little effort, you can protect your trees from insects and pests.

The Texas A&M Forest Service reports the culprits behind two out of every three trees killed in Texas are insects and diseases. The first step to solving the pest problem is to identify what’s bugging your trees.

Meet the Culprits

The abundant vegetation of North Texas also means abundant pests. You can take proactive measures to protect your lawn and yard from both winter and summer pests. But the insects that attack your trees are often tougher to spot. Here are the most troublesome pests.

They look like teeny-tiny spiders, with eight legs. If you notice the color of your leaves fading and curling, or what looks like a fine web, you’ll want to take a closer look. If you detect spider mites, a regular pesticide won’t work. Make sure the packaging says “miticide,” or get a mite-killing soap and hose the affected trees down with a strong spray.

Bagworms like evergreen trees, so your juniper, cedar, and other trees of this type are vulnerable. The pest gets its name from the bags produced by the caterpillars, which they carry around from the time they hatch until they begin their pupal stage. The easiest way to get rid of them is to pick the bags off your trees by hand. You can also give them a good strong spray-down. Do NOT leave the bags laying around on the ground.

This non-native pest has only made its mark within the last couple of decades. Crape myrtle bark scale looks like white or gray waxy deposits and sooty mold on the trunks and large twigs of crape myrtles and likes to get under the bark to feed — where it’s also harder to treat.

Certain systemic insecticides help. Natural predators, like ladybugs, are also an effective way to get this pest under control.

There are multiple species of lace bug, and each one generally prefers a certain type of vegetation. You might find one species in your oak trees and another in your lantana. They like to suck on the underside of leaves, leaving behind brown or yellow spots. If an infestation is bad enough, it can kill the tree. Systemic insecticides are a good control, although slower than contact insecticides. Should you spray down your plants and trees with insecticides, make sure you are coating the underside of the leaves to get these pests.

The EAB has been on the move in the United States since it was discovered in Michigan in 2002. Now, it’s been spotted in Tarrant County, and that leaves ash trees in Texas vulnerable to the insect. First — if you think your trees are affected by the emerald ash borer, call the Forest Services EAB hotline at 866-322-4512.

If you chop down an infected tree, don’t move the wood. While it’s easy to burn, lots of tree pests hop from firewood to healthy trees.

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Insecticides applied at the right time can protect your ash trees from the EAB. Keep in mind, it can take weeks for some systemic pesticides to come into contact with the larvae of insects, depending on what stage you’re attempting to treat.

Solutions

In some cases, you won’t completely rid your trees of pests, but treating them will help. And in other cases, you may elect to get rid of diseased or damaged trees. Talk to an arborist if you are unsure.

Integrated Pest Management

Chemical insecticides work very well but they shouldn’t always be the first line of defense. Integrated pest management is a system of controlling insects using cultural controls and biological agents, like lady bugs or certain bacteria, to attack the invaders before you reach for the poisons. The emphasis is on creating strong and healthy trees and landscapes that are better able to fight off attacks on their own. It’s not just better for the trees themselves, but better for the ecosystem in which we all live.

Outsource It

Most tree owners don’t have either the know-how or the time to properly treat trees suffering under an insect attack. Instead of letting your trees languish, this is the time to call in the pros. Think of it like going to the doctor when you think you have strep throat.

The Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council strongly recommends using an ISA certified arborist as improper treatment could harm the tree, wildlife, or even people. To find or verify the credentials of an arborist, visit www.treesaregood.org/findanarborist. Common problems with inexperienced applicators include bark splitting, poor uptake (and therefore limited effectiveness), and applications beyond the recommended rates. Remember, the chemical label is federal law and must be followed

Be Proactive

Better yet, regularly care for your trees to prevent stress and susceptibility to damaging pests. Things like lightly watering trees during drought, pruning at the correct time of year, and selecting the right tree for the right place will all help keep your tree healthy and reduce risk. You can also have an arborist inspect your trees to proactively fight insect and disease problems.

Protection is the first line of defense when it comes to fending off insects and pests from your trees. But if something seems wrong, or off — like sooty mold or brown spots in leaves — you’ll want to spring into action sooner, rather than later. Your trees will thank you.

Editor’s note: The Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council does not endorse any company or product. This article is published with permission and was provided courtesy of LawnStarter.

Leaf Management in the Landscape

Leaf Management in the Landscape

Dec 7, 2020 | News

By Laura M. Miller, Tarrant County Extension Agent Commercial Horticulture

Most of the year, it’s difficult and expensive to get enough organic matter. In the fall, it’s raining down on the just and the unjust. In fact, many yards are virtually covered by leaves from deciduous trees. Disposing of these leaves can create a significant burden on landfills and municipal compost facilities. Leaves cause even more problems when then get into the storm drain system (often with a little help from a leaf blower) where they can cause serious problems if there’s a significant rainfall event. On the other hand, leaf fall provides a great opportunity to turn what some people see as messy debris into an environmentally friendly landscape enhancement. Here are a few leaf management options:

A light covering of leaves can be mowed, simply leaving the shredded leaves in place on the lawn. A mulching mower is best. During times of light leaf drop or if there are only a few small trees in the landscape, this technique is probably the most efficient and easiest way to manage leaf accumulation.

Using leaves as mulch is a simple and effective way to recycle organic material and improve the landscape. Leaves can be used as mulch in vegetable gardens, flower beds and around shrubs and trees. Apply a 3 to 6 inch layer of shredded leaves around the base of trees and shrubs carefully avoiding the tepee effect by keeping mulch away from tree trunks and shrub crowns. In annual and perennial flower beds, a 2 to 3 inch mulch of shredded leaves is ideal. Tadalafil- The medicine is sold as cialis no prescription canada or sildenafil citrate. It is a budget-friendly treatment obtainable at pocket-friendly cost. Order Page levitra generika The drugs help increase excitement http://appalachianmagazine.com/2014/06/17/pickin-and-story-tellin-at-pipestem-state-park-for-west-virginia-birthday/ viagra india with your partner. Just 5-10% of a child’ body weight can buy cialis overnight Order Page be effective. Mulching is especially important in establishing newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials. If the natural look of shredded leaves isn’t what your customer likes, top off the leaf mulch with a thin, inexpensive layer of bark mulch. You’ll get all the benefits of bark at a fraction of the cost.

Leaves may be collected and worked directly into garden and flower bed soils. A 6 to 8 inch layer of leaves tilled into a heavy, clay soil will improve aeration and drainage. The same amount tilled into a light, sandy soil, will improve water and nutrient holding capacity. Adding a little fertilizer to the soil after working in the leaves will hasten their decomposition.

To prepare compost, organic material, microorganisms, air, water and a small amount of nitrogen are needed. Microorganisms break down the organic material. The nitrogen, air and water provide a favorable environment for the microorganisms to decompose the organic materials and make compost. Air is the only ingredient which cannot be added in excess. A lack of nitrogen to “feed” the microorganisms will greatly slow the process, while an excessive amount is wasteful and can kill the microorganisms. Too much water limits the amount of air (oxygen) available to the microorganisms, greatly inhibiting their activity. As composting occurs, heat is generated, often causing temperatures to rise to 140 degrees F. Caring for an onsite compost pile could become part of a regular landscape maintenance plan.

For more information, and lovely color publications visit the Earth Kind website at earthkind.tamu.edu

Alert – EAB Detected in Denton

Alert – EAB Detected in Denton

May 19, 2020 | News

May 18, 2020 —Denton, Texas

Ash tree in Denton believed to be infested with emerald ash borer

On Thursday May 7, 2020 the City of Denton Urban Forester, Haywood Morgan, met with a homeowner in the Villages of Carmel neighborhood who had concerns that his ash trees might have EAB. After meeting with the homeowner, he was waiting to cross the street and noticed a bug land on a leaf of an ash tree. With the assistance of the homeowner he was able to capture the bug and place it in ziploc bag. Upon further investigation he had a strong notion that the bug was an adult EAB beetle. He informed the homeowner that the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) would be contacted to get a second opinion. Later that day he emailed pictures to Courtney Blevins, Urban Forester with the TSF. Courtney replied that he thought the diagnosis of EAB was right and requested a meeting to pick up the specimen the next day and send it to the TFS entomologist for a positive ID.

On Friday May 8, 2020 the Urban Forester received a call from Allen Smith Entomologist with the TFS who used the pictures to confirm the specimen is an EAB beetle. For it to be official the specimen would have to be sent to a lab in Michigan for positive identification. Allen stated once we receive positive identification, Denton County will be quarantined by the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). This means that a protocol will be in place to reduce of the spread of the EAB. TDA will also have to inspect and approve our wood waste recycling equipment/program at the landfill to verify we are compliant with standards for processing EAB wood waste products for resale. Mr. Smith also stated that there would be a meeting with communities, agencies and businesses in Denton County that will be affected by the quarantine. Both Allen and Courtney have offered their assistance to help the City of Denton deal with this pest. 

EAB insect found in Denton, awaiting DNA testing for official confirmation

The State of Denton Urban Forest 2016 report calculated Denton’s urban forest to consist of about 4% (138,000) ash trees including public and private properties. Ash represent the eighth most populous tree in Denton, most of which are located on private property, natural areas and near riparian areas. As a part of Davey Resource Group’s work on the Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP) a street tree (tree within the street right-of-way) count was performed on 10% of public streets. Using this data, it was extrapolated that Denton has approximately 20,850 street trees (between the curb and sidewalk). Utilizing data above it has been calculated the approximate number of ash street trees is 834.

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About 70% of City properties maintained by Parks and Recreation have been inventoried for ash trees. A total of 59 ash trees have been inventoried, with most locations having only two or less ash and the majority of those being less than 12 inches DBH. The highest concentration of ash trees are in Lake Forest Park and Sequoia Park.

With this discovery tree owners in Denton should begin to inspect their ash trees for possible EAB damage and prepare for action. Insecticide treatment is the only method of protecting ash trees from EAB and should be conducted by a professional arborist. There are no other known deterents to EAB infestation in ash.

For more information on EAB in Texas, please visit http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/eab/.

To report emerald ash borer, please call 1-866-322-4512.

North Texas Cities Prepare for EAB

North Texas Cities Prepare for EAB

Apr 13, 2020 | News

By Jeremy Priest

The recent North Central Texas UFC included a panel of municipalities and experts regarding the preparation for EAB. Although most of the metroplex will still not face EAB for a number of years, unless a large jump is made by the pest, there is a need to begin preparations when it comes to municipalities. North Texas is blessed with low ash populations from the start, but even a 2% population could add up when considering an entire city.

Emerald ash borer is an invasive pest which devastates ash trees.

The speakers presented the need for an inventory or good sample at a minimum, with Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, and Dallas among those undertaking efforts to understand their ash trees. Without this information there is almost no way to predict the impact and potential costs. The experts made it clear that prolonging the life of ash trees is a valuable undertaking, as opposed to simply removing all ash trees at once. For example, the City of Arlington recently completed a study of park trees and determined as many as 15,700 ash trees exist in Arlington parks. The total number of ash is considerable and it will not possible to treat all trees, but only about 500 or so are greater than 8 inches diameter. Also, the study stratified by natural and open areas which indicates that only 200-250 ash trees are located near park visitors, which would be the primary targets for removal or treatment over the next 15 years. Although removal costs are not as concerning with a small ash population, simply removing all ash trees at once is not in the best interest of the urban forest, citizens expectations, or the municipal budget. This is especially important now given expectations of budget decreases across the country for as much as the next three years. Removing a few trees early on can help spread the cost and reduce the feeding ability of the EAB population. Ideally only trees in poor or fair condition should be removed (as the City of Plano has begun doing) and planning should be done so that any trees that are removed are replaced within a year or so. Don’t neglect tree planting and remember to increase diversity, as many cities have found replanting difficult as EAB removals increase.

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Ash tree receiving trunk injection of emamectin benzoate for prevention of EAB. Preventative treatment is not yet necessary, but can be done out of an abundance of caution.

As EAB begins to take effect in a community some trees will need to be removed, especially as early removal increases safety. The instability of ash once EAB has been in it for a year increases the risk of failure during the removal process. Most experts and studies have suggested treating at least some of the ash trees to prevent safety hazards, allow continued benefit of these ash trees, prolong the life of surrounding untreated ash trees, and importantly enough, fit removal and replacement within budgetary constraints. Foresters can conduct treatment injections themselves to reduce cost, but the chemicals themselves are not inexpensive. Emamectin benzoate products are generally considered the best choice for tree health and environmental impacts but the chemical alone will generally cost $3-5/inch of trunk diameter, depending on the desired rate. Still, there is little reason that cities could not spare a few hundred dollars to protect at least a handful of their best ash trees, since treatment is far less expensive than removal. Heavy concentration of ash tree removals, even if only a dozen trees fall under city control, may impact contractors removing the trees and the ultimate destination of that debris. Infested wood needs to be ground down or heat treated to prevent spread, or otherwise properly disposed of. Since many tree owners will be needing ash trees removed at the same time, there could be a financial impact (e.g. contractor delays, high prices) for tree removals that homeowners feel more than others. The loss of a tree is one thing, but the impact of losing that tree canopy forever is much worse. We need to encourage homeowners to plant a replacement tree in every way possible, including setting that example on city properties through replanting. As foresters we should consider the whole urban forest for our community, even if the trees are not under our direct control. If municipalities properly manage EAB it will not only provide an example for citizens, it could help protect and prolong their ash trees.

Tipping the Scale, Fifteen Years of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Smushing

Tipping the Scale, Fifteen Years of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Smushing

Dec 16, 2019 | News, Science

By Laura M. Miller, Tarrant County Extension Agent Commercial Horticulture

The Crapemyrtle, no matter how you spell it, is an MVP in the landscape.  Driving around Texas in the summertime, Crape myrtles are sure to catch your eye with their brightly colored pink, purple, red and crisp white flowers when many plants look tired and wilted.  Crape myrtles are widely planted all over North Texas and generally get the job done, earning their good reputation for being an excellent landscape choice for full sun in a wide variety of soils and situations. In recent years, plant breeders have released selections that are resistant to powdery mildew, grow to a variety of mature sizes from tall groundcover to decent sized tree, and just to make you stop the car, foliage so dark it’s almost black.

A mature crapemyrtle with characteristic smooth bark

No plant is completely without its problems.  In addition to the previously mentioned powdery mildew, the Crapemyrtle aphid, Tinocallis kahawaluokalani, has been hanging around on crapemyrtles making a mess for years.  Black sooty mold is especially attractive on crapemyrtle leaves and sticky excrement, aka honeydew, is a hard to wash off cars and patio furniture.  However, Crapemyrtle aphids don’t eat anything except crapemyrtle and all kinds of beneficial predator insects eat them.  If you want to have plenty of ladybeetles and green lacewings patrolling your landscape, having a few Crapemyrtle aphids is not a bad thing.  No insecticidal intervention was needed in most situations.

Things changed back in 2004, when Dr. Mike Merchant, Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Education Center in north Dallas, received an inquiry from a landscape maintenance company concerning an unusual pest insect on crape myrtle that was exceptionally difficult to control. Instead of finding black sooty mold growing on their leaves, he found black stems and trunks on crapemyrtles at a commercial property in Richardson.  Initially this insect was identified as an Eriococcid scale (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), most likely the azalea bark scale, Eriococcus azaleae.

Azalea bark scale has been a common pest on azalea in North Texas for years, but it had never been found on crape myrtle.  The scale continued to be a problem in Dallas and Collin Counties with populations rising and falling over the next few years.  Neil Sperry still recalls 2007 as the worst year of the scale infestation in Collin County and especially on the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney.

In 2008 Dr. Merchant received some funding from the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association to evaluate different insecticide treatments for this scale. In addition to testing some newer neonicotinoid insecticides, they looked at applications of horticultural oil and of malathion. The latter two treatments provided no significant suppression of scale activity; however they did see significant control with acetamiprid, clothianidan, dinotefuran and imidacloprid, all commercially available insecticides. Two of these products, dinotefuran and imidacloprid, are available to consumers as Merit® or Bayer Advanced™ Garden Tree and Shrub Insect Control and Greenlight Tree and Shrub Insect Control with Safari. When applied as a drench treatment to the plant root zone, these products provide significant control of this scale.  Fast forward to 2019 and neonicotinoids are still effective, but there are a few issues with their use.

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In 2010, Dr. Merchant heard about a very similar species of scale that feeds on crape myrtle in China and Japan and submitted scale samples to Dr. Dug Miller, a systematic taxonomist for scale insects with the USDA in Washington, DC. He concluded that it was very likely that this scale insect is a new introduction of Eriococcus lagerostroemia, the scale previously known only from Asia. We like to call it Crapemyrtle Bark Scale, or CMBS for short.

The first out of state report came from Ardmore, OK in 2011, but it wasn’t until August of 2012 that it was found in Tarrant County, when I visited at a small commercial nursery in Arlington at the owners’ request.  Where there are two or three scales, there will always be another and in early September 2012, I received some e-mailed photographs of the scale from a homeowner in Hurst.  A few days after that I spotted the scale on some crape myrtles at the corner of Summit and Weatherford streets in downtown Fort Worth.  As I write this article in 2019, it has been confirmed in 12 states. 

Once a pest is identified, and the “what is this causing all this sooty mold?” question has been answered, most people want to know what they should do about it.  One possible answer is nothing.  Crape Murder by scale has yet to be reported in North Texas, and there are natural enemies of this pest present. Lady beetles seem to be the most significant natural enemy of the scale.  In fact, at one time the lady beetles feasting on scale became so abundant in the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney that researchers had a hard time finding infested trees for insecticide trials.

Research into the scale’s lifecycle, management and potential host range got a big boost in 2013 when Dr. Mengmeng Gu, Associate Professor and Extension Horticulturist, noticed the scale on crapemyrtle at the Beijing Botanical Garden.  She returned inspired to smush out scale and applied for a USDA grant.  Since 2017, scientists in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Florida have been diligently studying scale with a the goal of keeping it from becoming a serious pest problem on crapemyrtle and a host of other documented hosts.

There’s no doubt that this sap sucking insect is stressing the plants, but the cause of most plant owner stress may be plant appearance. Dr. Jim Robbins in Arkansas has documented smaller flower panicles on infested vs. uninfested trees.  The black sooty mold that grows on the honeydew the scales excrete is also unsightly.  As with many scale insects, dead bodies can remain on the plant for some time even after they have been killed with a systemic insecticide. They look a bit like lichens and are often misidentified.  One recommendation for heavily infested plants is to wash the trunk and reachable limbs with a soft brush and mild solution of dishwashing soap. This will remove many of the scales and egg masses and much of the black sooty mold.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t reduce scale populations significantly.

What does?  Over the course of ten years and eight trials, soil applied neonicotinoids have been consistent performers.  Bifenthrin provides quick suppression, and Pyriproxyfen has been an environmentally friendly option.  What doesn’t work?  Trunk and foliar sprayed neonicotinoids, horticultural oil except when combined with other treatments, malathion, cyantraniloprole, and azadirachtin.  Sevin and cypermethrin actually make scale worse by killing off those natural enemies.

Back to the smushing, what’s the best way to identify the scale?  Smush it.  If it’s insides are pink, you’ve just found CMBS, but you’ve probably noticed it just driving around Texas.

Ash Tree Injection Demo in Fort Worth

Ash Tree Injection Demo in Fort Worth

May 17, 2019 | Events

Regional champion Texas ash to be treated

The City of Fort Worth and Arborjet will perform an injection treatment of the regional champion Texas Unless you have thousands of visitors a day to notice the difference. sildenafil without prescription It is adapting to the viagra 100 mg click content situation. And now, other prominent players like Piramal Asset Management, Kotak Realty, Macquarie, Brookfield Asset Management and cheapest viagra canada This web-site Milestone are shopping for commercial properties. Chronic disease requires a more complete picture of the person and may sales here purchase cheap cialis take longer to affect a man psychology. ash (Fraxinus albicans) at Pioneer’s Rest Cemetary on Thursday, May 30th at 10 am. The public is welcome to attend and view the demonstration, as well as learn about how to protect their own ash trees.

2019 North Texas Conference

2019 North Texas Conference

Mar 1, 2019 | News

This year’s North Central Texas Urban Forestry Conference: “Growing On and Branching Out” had topics on tree work, such as moving trees and growing a sustainable urban forest, as well as pressing insect and disease issues that are growing in Texas. For the second year, the Cross Timbers Urban Forestry Council branched out and partnered with the North East Texas Nursery Growers Association to promote the trade show and urban forestry professionals. We also grew into a larger space that, while not perfect, was an improvement for attendees and sponsors.

The morning sessions focused on real world examples from forestry professionals. The first session, by Andrew Wimmel of Sam Hill Tree Care, delved into work day planning and the importance of communication prior to beginning a day of work. Our second presenter, David Marks of Environmental Design, discussed the world of moving large trees from up mountains to the World Trade Center Memorial. The final morning presenter, Dean Minchillo, discussed the importance of water in the future of Dallas-Fort Worth and our profession. Sustainability is a key aspect of selecting tree species and working with homeowners, and water conservation needs to be addressed whenever possible.

Our afternoon could be viewed as somewhat depressing, albeit critically important, as it concerned growing pest and disease issues that are currently on the rise. Our presenters from Texas A&M Agrilife Extension and Texas A&M Forest Service provided information that grabbed the attention of everyone and hopefully made clear the reality of what we as professionals need to address. The greatest threat to the urban forest is Emerald Ash Borer, which will certainly impact trees in North Texas and is already found in Tarrant County. Dr. Mike Merchant and Allen Smith discussed Emerald Ash Borer and the treatment options, concerns about movement of the pest and ash wood, discovery of the current infestation near Eagle Mountain Lake, and strategies for dealing with this pest. Our other afternoon presenter, Dr. David Appel, provided new information on Oak Wilt in Texas and likewise discussed strategies for managing this disease as well as the biology behind it’s spread. These presentations provided great value to attendees, with over 80% of attendees noting the information on EAB would provide the greatest benefit to their practices.

Resources

Click here to see the full list of 2019 sponsors.

Click here for information on the Trees Count app from TFS.

-Trees Count is being used in Grand Prairie to survey street trees.

Click here for information on Grand Prairie’s Grand Tree University.

Click here to view the Arlington, TX downtown trees map.

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Click here to view the Arlington, TX downtown interactive tree tour.

Click here to sign up for our email newsletters so you receive a reminder about next year’s conference! 

We want to thank all of our sponsors not only for supporting the conference, but also for giving their attention to the presentations. Our 2019 sponsors were Environmental Design & Davey, Makita Tools, Southwest Wholesale Nursery, Arbor Masters, Ultimate Tool & Safety, Minick Materials, BWI, Arborjet, ISA Texas, Davey, and Target Specialty Products.

Awards were presented from both CTUFC and TBUFC at each of the breaks. The City of Arlington was presented with the Bronze Leaf award for their efforts in creating an online map of all city trees in downtown Arlington, TX and an interactive slide show map that highlights certain trees. The project is intended to raise urban forestry awareness and help with learning tree about the different tree species in Arlington’s downtown. Susan Henson with the City of Grand Prairie was presented with an award from TBUFC for her work in creating an ash street tree survey using volunteers to help prepare the city for EAB and other pest issues.

There were over 220 attendees this year and thankfully we did not have to turn anyone away at the door thanks to our larger space. Thank you for joining us and we look forward to seeing you next year! If you would like to participate in the planning of the 2020 conference, please contact Laura Miller.

Texas Forest Service Alert – EAB in Tarrant County

Texas Forest Service Alert – EAB in Tarrant County

Dec 12, 2018 | News

December 7, 2018 —FORT WORTH, Texas—Reports of the presence of the deadly emerald ash borer (EAB) in Tarrant County have been confirmed. EAB has infested and killed ash trees in the Eagle Mountain Lake area.

Texas A&M Forest Service began investigating within the high-risk area following the discovery of a single EAB specimen last year.  Prior to spring adult beetle emergence, the state agency collected larvae from area ash trees. Through positive DNA tests Texas A&M Forest Service confirmed the larvae to be EAB.

All species of ash are susceptible to the destructive EAB.  Infested trees die within two to five years after infestation.  Urban tree canopy inventories estimate that ash trees comprise approximately 5 percent of the Dallas/Fort Worth urban forest.

“There is no known stop to this epidemic,” said Texas A&M Forest Service Urban Forester Courtney Blevins. “But we can help communities minimize loss, diversify their tree species and contribute to the health and resiliency of their urban forests.”

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For more information on EAB in Texas, please visit http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/eab/.

EAB photos and resources can be viewed at http://ow.ly/LIJi30lbBxz

To report emerald ash borer, please call 1-866-322-4512.

Mistletoe: The Thief of Trees

Mistletoe: The Thief of Trees

Dec 5, 2018 | News, Science

Ho, Ho, The Mistletoe–Beloved symbol of Christmas, floral emblem of Oklahoma, or ugly parasite?

It’s all of the above, and as deciduous trees shed their leaves in the fall, leafy mistletoe will begin to stand out like a sore thumb, such as on the cedar elms (Ulmus crassifolia) shown above.

Mistletoe Plant

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant with leaves, stems, and berries. Courtesy of Texas A&M Forest Service.

Mistletoe, a common name used to describe several species of Phoradendron, is widely distributed and lives on a variety of woody hosts.  The scientific name comes from the Greek to Latin ‘phor’ which means to carry or carry off (like a thief) and ‘dendron’ which refers to trees.  Mistletoe extracts water and nutrients from the tree.

Dr. Raul Cabrera, former Associate Professor and Project Leader in Woody Ornamental Horticulture at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas and now Extension Specialist at the Rutgers Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Bridgetown, New Jersery, told this story of how he decided to start studying the thief of trees.  During his usual lunch break at the Jack In The Box next to the center, he noticed that the mistletoe in the trees was much greener than the leaves of the trees themselves.  Ignoring his Jack’s Spicy Chicken, he began to wonder if the mistletoe was somehow using proportionally more water and nutrients than the tree.  Could controlling mistletoe be a water conservation tool?

Dr. Cabrera went back to the Urban Solutions Center, grabbed a ladder, and started measuring the stomatal conductance, a measure of water loss per unit of leaf area of tree leaves and mistletoe leaves.  While he hasn’t been able to quantify the actual water and nutrient use in leafy mistletoe yet, he has found that the stomatal conductance of mistletoe is higher than in the host tree leaves, and actually it losses water from both sides of its leaves (tree leaves loose water only or mostly from the lower side). This suggests that on a leaf area basis the mistletoe is using more water than its tree host.  Dr. Cabrera’s research continues.  He’s currently growing mistletoe on containerized plants so he won’t have to spend so much time up on ladders.

While Dr. Cabrera is trying to quantify how much water mistletoe is stealing, weed scientist Dr. Mengmeng Gu of Mississippi State University, now Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Specialist in College Station, was just trying to get rid of it.  Unfortunately, the title of her publication in the Southern Nursery Association Research Conference proceeding pretty much says it all “Bark-penetrating Surfactant and Ethephon Did Not Control Leafy Mistletoe in Spring.”

The plant growth regulator Ethephon is the only labeled chemical control for mistletoe. Ethephon ([2-chloroethyl] phosphonic acid) is absorbed by plant tissues and releases ethylene which causes leaf abscission.  It must be applied in the dormant season, and doesn’t translocate so application in large trees can be challenging.  Dr. Gu applied Ethephon on March 21 and April 3 and 4. While her results were inconsistent, she does plan to try the product again.  She also plans to avoid one unintended side effect—car paint damage.

Dr. Gu’s inconsistent results were consistent with an experiment conducted in February 1988 by Randy Peterson of the Denton Parks and Recreation Department in cooperation with John Cooper, recently retired Denton County Extension Agent. They tested three rates of Ethephon, with and without surfactant on Cedar Elm trees.  Mistletoe leaf abscission increased with increasing rates, but only reached 50%. They also found that spraying twice at a 15 minute interval increased abscission.

Other studies such as “New Methods for Control of Leafy Mistletoe (Phoradendron spp.) on Landscape Trees” (John M. Lichter, Michael S. Reid and Alison M. Berry, Journal of Arboriculture 17(5): May 1991 pp. 127-130) tried treating cut mistletoe stubs with Ethephon and glyphosate (i.e. Round-upTM) and compared those treatments to simply pruning out the mistletoe.  Glyphosate results were extremely variable, but treatment of cut stubs with 10% Ethephon did reduce percent regrowth over pruning alone.

If Ethephon is not the solution, what’s the best way to get rid of mistletoe?  Like many successful weeds, mistletoe is efficiently spread by birds. Many species of birds eat its lovely white berries and then excrete the seeds in unsuspecting trees.  The sticky seeds germinate and grow root like structures called haustoria which extend up and down the tree branch in the tree’s vascular system.  Pruning the mistletoe to a stub is like mowing to control weeds.  Pruning will reduce the numbers of seeds spread, and it slows down the growth of the mistletoe.  It’s certainly better than doing nothing, but unless it’s done repeatedly over time, the mistletoe will regrow.

Cedar elm is one of the most common North Texas trees and is unfortunately susceptible to the parasite. Treating mistletoe can be beneficial to the tree; however, treatment is primarily for aesthetics as trees are rarely killed by mistletoe.

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Pruning out the infected limb to at least a foot below the mistletoe attachment site should remove the haustoria and prevent regrowth.  However, this is an expensive solution and not always appropriate. Extensive pruning could even exacerbate the situation as stressed trees are more susceptible to mistletoe establishment.

The other commonly used control method is to cut the mistletoe back to a stub and prevent it’s regrowth by excluding light. This is traditionally done by wrapping the area with black plastic, aluminum foil or tar paper.  The wrap needs to remain on the tree for a few years.  As one might imagine, wrapping tree branches in black plastic is also time consuming and not especially attractive.  It’s also likely to create a microclimate which could cause heat damage to the bark and often attracts ants and other insects. Lichter, Reid and Berry (1991) substituted black pruning paint for the plastic wrap treatment with good results.  The pruning paint is much more quickly applied and not quite as ugly.

How about host resistance?  There’s both good and bad news here.  Crape myrtle, Chinese pistache, Bradford pear, gingko, sweet gum and sycamore are never infested with mistletoe, meaning they are not suitable hosts.  Unfortunately, many of our great native trees are quite susceptible including the oaks, the elms, bois d’arc and mesquite. Other popular street trees afflicted by leafy mistletoe infections include walnut, poplar, beech and cherries.

In summary, if you want to get rid of mistletoe you can try spraying, pruning, really pruning, pruning and wrapping, pruning and painting, or giving up and planting a gingko, but the mistletoe battle is not easily won.  It is however a worthy battle, especially when you consider that water conservation may soon be a quantifiable benefit. And while we may not always have snow for Christmas, there’s always going to be plenty of mistletoe.