Tree Farmer - July/August 2010 - (Page 24)

Adult Asian longhorned beetle. wildlife matters Forest Insects By On the Watch for Jackson JEFF By Jackson JEFF Insect watching is an important management activity for every forest landowner. Insect surveillance is part of the business of growing trees. Knowing about insects can avoid huge losses. Like other landowners, I constantly watch for insect threats. I know all the parts of my stands, and many individual trees. Often I’ll be walking in my forest, and suddenly up ahead, I see it—that spot of yellowing or browning, the thinning needles … and I get that all-too-familiar sinking feeling. That spot wasn’t there last week. Are those trees dying? Was it a lightning strike? Is it the work of insects? Will it spread to other trees? Could I lose the entire stand? For me in the Southeast, certain species of pine beetles require diligent surveillance. These beetles include the black turpentine beetle (Dendroctonus terebrans), the ips beetles (a few Dendroctonus species), and the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontanalis). The southern pine beetle is the worst of these. All three species feed between the bark and the wood. Telltale evidence of their presence are little pitch tubes that protrude from the bark. When I see fine sawdust on the bark, I know the ambrosia beetles have followed the southern pine beetles, and the tree is sure to die if it isn’t dead already. Epidemics of these native beetles in the southern states periodically cause major losses across hundreds or thousands of acres of pine timber. While surveying your forest for pests, watching other insect events helps you tune in to the annual cycle of the seasons. Some annual events on our land are the cankerworm moths Jeff Jackson is a wildlife management consultant, based at his Tree Farm in Arnoldsville, Georgia. He is a retired professor of wildlife management and former Extension wildlife specialist at the University of Georgia. Reach him at (706) 543-2656. 24 Tree Farmer JULY/AUGUST 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tree Farmer - July/August 2010

Tree Farmer - July/August 2010
Table of Contents
Cover Story
Money Does Grow on Trees
Research Roundup
2009 Northeast Regional Tree Farm of the Year
Wildlife Matters
Ties to the Land

Tree Farmer - July/August 2010