For property owners, the beetles present a vexing scenario, as some scramble to keep their trees alive while others mourn the loss and embark on the oftentimes costly removal process.
The ubiquitous midge is almost completely absent from Mývatn, the pointedly named ‘Midge Lake,’ this year. Árni says this happens every seven to nine years—it’s now been about eight since the last time the midge population collapsed. As a result, the bird population will be much smaller for the next two to three years.
Last summer’s unusually warm weather fueled an explosion in the western blackheaded budworm, leaving masses of browning trees in many areas of Southeast. The worm, which is the larval stage of the budworm moth, is known to feed on the new growth of trees, leaving them with a brownish-red appearance.
A resident of Seldovia reported an infestation of worms infesting an area of salmonberry brush and nettle.
This eye catching insect is the adult stonefly.
I saw an extreme amount of spittle bugs not only on grasses and plants but on flowers.
Our Mosquito Magnet trap filled in under a week. We normally empty it once a month or so.
The spraying 20 years ago was effective in reducing the infestation to a manageable level and seemed to do so for quite a while. That is, until now. Merrill Brady told me last week that he is inundated with tent caterpillars this year. His property is down by the greenbelt lots and the caterpillars are stripping the 60-foot cottonwoods and all other vegetation of all of their leaves.
All Topics
All Countries
Any Date
Apply