Recognizing the threat emerald ash borer poses to the trees and forests of New Hampshire, Governor Hassan issued a proclamation declaring next week Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week. She urges all citizens to learn more about emerald ash borer, to make a commitment to using either certified heat-treated or locally produced firewood–buy it where you burn it, to identify ash trees on your property and inspect them for signs of emerald ash borer, and to report suspicious ash trees and insects to state and federal plant regulatory officials at www.nhbugs.org or 800-444-8978.

Expect to see press including PSA’s and social media about EAB Awareness Week. Please take this opportunity to share information about emerald ash borer to your family, friends, neighbors and professional colleagues.  Read the text of the proclamation.

Infested Trees—Signs and Symptoms—Two Field Trips Planned

We still have space in next week’s field trips to look at the emerald ash borer in Concord.

Kyle Lombard, Forest Health Specialist with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands is hosting two field trips to look at signs and symptoms of infested trees in Concord. Highlights include infested trees, d-shaped exit holes, serpentine galleries, “blonding,” and perhaps even adults emerging from the rearing station. The field trips will be mostly outdoors, but will start at the emerald ash borer staging station at the old NH DOT warehouse at 11 Stickney Ave. The warehouse is across the road from the Concord Coach Lines bus station

The dates and times:

• Tuesday, May 21 from 10 to noon
• Wednesday May 22 from 10 to noon

To register: email debra.anderson@unh.edu and indicate which day you will attend. There is limited space and we will need attendees to car pool with each other from site to site.

As workshops are planned, we add them to our “attend a meeting” page on www.nhbugs.org.

Not to forget other invasive insects…

Woodlot owners in particular might be interested in attending the UNH Community Tree Farm Field Day on June 1, on-campus in Durham. One of the stops will  be at the UNH hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) insectary. Learn how UNH will raise beetles that feed on invasive HWA. Kyle Lombard, N.H. Division of Forests and Lands will take us through a three‐acre tract managed as an insectary to raise natural predators of the HWA. If successful, this project will provide beetles for distribution throughout the region to help control HWA. There is a registration fee and we ask people to register by May 24. Read more about the day UNH Community Tree Farm Field Day or register online.

Governor Hassan Declares May 19-25, 2013 Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week

Recognizing the threat emerald ash borer poses to the trees and forests of New Hampshire, Governor Hassan issued a proclamation declaring next week Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week. She urges all citizens to learn more about emerald ash borer, to make a commitment to using either certified heat-treated or locally produced firewood–buy it where you burn it, to identify ash trees on your property and inspect them for signs of emerald ash borer, and to report suspicious ash trees and insects to state and federal plant regulatory officials at www.nhbugs.org or 800-444-8978.

Expect to see press including PSA’s and social media about EAB Awareness Week. Please take this opportunity to share information about emerald ash borer to your family, friends, neighbors and professional colleagues.  Read the text of the proclamation.

Infested Trees—Signs and Symptoms—Two Field Trips Planned

We still have space in next week’s field trips to look at the emerald ash borer in Concord.

Kyle Lombard, Forest Health Specialist with the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands is hosting two field trips to look at signs and symptoms of infested trees in Concord. Highlights include infested trees, d-shaped exit holes, serpentine galleries, “blonding,” and perhaps even adults emerging from the rearing station. The field trips will be mostly outdoors, but will start at the emerald ash borer staging station at the old NH DOT warehouse at 11 Stickney Ave. The warehouse is across the road from the Concord Coach Lines bus station

The dates and times:

• Tuesday, May 21 from 10 to noon
• Wednesday May 22 from 10 to noon

To register: email debra.anderson@unh.edu and indicate which day you will attend. There is limited space and we will need attendees to car pool with each other from site to site.

As workshops are planned, we add them to our “attend a meeting” page on www.nhbugs.org.

Not to forget other invasive insects…

Woodlot owners in particular might be interested in attending the UNH Community Tree Farm Field Day on June 1, on-campus in Durham. One of the stops will  be at the UNH hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) insectary. Learn how UNH will raise beetles that feed on invasive HWA. Kyle Lombard, N.H. Division of Forests and Lands will take us through a three‐acre tract managed as an insectary to raise natural predators of the HWA. If successful, this project will provide beetles for distribution throughout the region to help control HWA. There is a registration fee and we ask people to register by May 24. Read more about the day UNH Community Tree Farm Field Day or register online

Emerald Ash Borer – Image by Dave Cappaert

The Washington Post

The Washington Post’s Urban Jungle blog posted a story examining the details of the study. Author Patterson Clark synthesizes:

Although the authors did not detail any direct cause-and-effect relationships, they did cite previous studies demonstrating the health benefits of trees: They improve air quality, moderate temperature and provide opportunities for physical activity; trees are psychologically soothing and act as buffers for stress; a walk through the woods reduces heart rates and lowers cortisol levels; children living on tree-lined streets are less likely to have asthma.

The post goes on to say that treatment options are expensive, which isn’t necessarily the case. A two-year control injection treatment can cost less than your monthly cable and internet bill. Compare that with $800-$1,000 to remove a mature tree, not to mention the loss to property value, stormwater runoff, and increased heating and cooling costs.

WTOP 103.5

Also in the DC area, radio station WTOP posted a story following up on the study as well. Author Andrew Mollenbeck interviewed researcher Geoffrey Donovan, who confirmed:

We found that in counties that were infested with the emerald ash borer, we saw higher levels of cardiovascular and lower respiratory disease. Human interaction with the natural environment is a fundamental part of human health and well-being.

This particular story shared the following from the study:

Tree loss from the spread of the emerald ash borer is associated with increased mortality related to the cardiovascular and lower-respiratory systems. This relationship is particularly strong in counties with above-average median household income.

What do you think? Has the suspected link between Emerald Ash Borer and increased cardiovascular disease caused you to reconsider treating your ash trees or providing treatment as an option for your customers? Is your city treating its ash trees in public areas?

Arborjet, a company that develops remedies for some of the world’s most destructive tree insects and diseases, invites municipalities and homeowners from coast to coast to join together this Arbor Day to become part of the “Million Tree Challenge™” and help save one million American trees.

Invasive tree pests like the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) are wreaking havoc on America’s urban forests and have destroyed over 60 million ash trees to date, but there are effective ways to prevent this destruction. By joining the “Million Tree Challenge,” America’s cities and homeowners can work to save more trees from early demise.

To mark the commencement of the “Million Tree Challenge,” Arborjet is donating trunk injection treatments to protect 50 of the most highly-valued trees in Kansas City, a Tree City USA community, from EAB. The public is invited to join Arborjet; the Greenway Fields Homes Association; and Bret Cleveland of Urban Tree Specialists at 10:30 A.M. on Saturday, April 27^th at Strawn Park (63^rd Street and Valley Road) in Kansas City, Missouri, for the first symbolic treatment, along with a demonstration of the trunk injection technology, during the Greenway Fields Tree Census and Arbor Day Celebration (10 A.M. to 1 P.M.).

In 2012, over 850,000 trees were protected against tree pest attacks via quick acting, long lasting trunk injection treatments from Arborjet. In addition, the rescue of these trees also had a significant economic impact, saving the United States an estimated total of $714 million– $612 million in tree removal and replacement costs, and an annual tree benefit value of $102 million in storm water runoff, property value, energy savings, and air quality (per the National Tree Benefit Calculator).

“As an environmentally responsible treatment, trunk injections cost significantly less than removing and replacing mature trees and help preserve the environmental, economic and aesthetic benefits trees bring to us all,” said Russ Davis, President and COO of Arborjet. “Our hope is that by declaring the “Million Tree Challenge™,” we can encourage everyone to help save one of our country’s most treasured assets, our trees.”

How Tree Trunk Injection Works:

Used by forward-thinking municipalities and certified arborists nationwide to ensure the trees in America’s urban forests and neighborhoods remain beautiful now and in the future, the appropriate formulation dose is injected directly into a tree’s vascular system and moves quickly to the target area. Unlike spraying and soil drenching, tree trunk injections are sealed in the tree, limiting environmental exposure. Nothing is placed into the air or soil at the time of injection. The active ingredient keeps working through the tree’s vascular system, providing long lasting protection. There is even one injectable treatment available that protects trees against 25 different insect species for up to two years and can stop damage if a tree is currently under attack.

Have you used a word cloud before? This one is pulling all the content from arborjet.com to create a visual representation of the content on our site. The larger words appear most frequently over the pages and the smaller ones less so.

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Some pesticides can lose their activity through chemical decomposition or volatilization. Dry formulations such as wettable powders (WP) or granular (G) can become caked and compacted; emulsifiable concentrates (EC) can lose their ability to form emulsions. Some pesticides can actually become more toxic, flammable, or explosive as they break down.

Pesticide formulations that contain low concentrations of active ingredients generally lose effectiveness faster than more concentrated forms. Sometimes a liquid pesticide develops a gas as it deteriorates, making opening and handling containers quite hazardous.

Certain pesticides have a characteristic odor. A strong odor in the storage area may indicate a leak, spill, or improperly sealed container. It may also be a clue that the pesticide is deteriorating, because the smell of some chemicals intensifies as they break down. If none of these problems are found, chemical odors can be reduced with exhaust fans, or by lowering the temperature of the storage area.

Pesticide containers (including fiber and metal drums, pails, cans, bottles, bags, boxes, overpacks and liners) have an important effect on storage and shelf life. If stored for long periods, these containers may eventually corrode, crack, break, tear, or fail to seal properly. Also the label may become illegible.

Pesticides, if stored in a cool, dry area that is out of direct sunlight, will generally have an extended shelf life. In general, properly stored pesticides will retain their effectiveness for at least three to five years. Biological pesticides, such as Bacillus thuringiensis, tend to have shorter shelf lives than chemical pesticides.

Protection from temperature extremes is important because heat or cold can shorten a pesticide’s shelf life. At temperatures below freezing, some liquid formulations separate into their various components and lose their effectiveness. High temperatures cause many pesticides to volatize or break down more rapidly. Extreme heat may also cause glass bottles to break or explode. Storage temperatures should not exceed 100 degrees F frequently or for extended time periods.

One way to ensure you won’t have shelf life or storage problems is to buy only what you think you will need for one season. So many times we buy the sale item because it’s a ‘deal’. What we find out is that we only needed a small portion and now we have to store the leftover chemical. A good tip is to write the date you purchased the product on the container itself or the label. There are no expiration dates on pesticides, so this will serve as a reminder regarding how old the product is.

If you have to store chemicals, read the label and follow any specific guidelines listed. Store different groups of pesticides, such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides in separate locations within a storage area to prevent cross-contamination from fumes, vapors, and accidental use of the wrong container. Never store chemicals near any type of animal feed. Always store out of the reach of children, preferably in a locked cabinet.

(Martha A. Smith, Horticulture Educator, University of Illinois Extension. Used with permission from PEST Vol. 17 No. 1, March 2012)

Say “goodbye” to mites, powdery mildew, and a host of other insect and fungus pests plaguing indoor and outdoor plants! Arborjet, Inc., a long-time leader in the plant health care revolution, recently announced the launch of two brand-new products, Eco-Mite™ and Eco-PM™, specially formulated to use on small plants.

Derived from organic botanical plant oils and extracts, both Eco-Mite and Eco-PM kill and repel their target pests, are non-toxic to people and pets, environmentally safe, and work fast. Each product is available as a 32 oz. ready-to-use spray, 1-quart concentrate, and 1-gallon concentrate. A quart of concentrate makes 5 or more gallons of product for treatment, and the gallon size makes 20 or more gallons of product.

These new products, along with AzaSol™, comprise Arborjet’s new Eco-Line—an array of products created with eco-friendliness in mind. AzaSol, the next generation neem™, is already well known for its water soluble formulation used as part of a plant protection and maintenance program.  All three products are organic and can be used on a wide variety of crops, including food crops in the case of AzaSol and Eco-PM.

“We’re thrilled to be able to round out our product offering for the indoor growing market by adding Eco-Mite and Eco-PM to the lineup,” said Russ Davis, President and COO of Arborjet. “AzaSol has generated a great following of users, and we hope the full Eco-Line will continue to please. Hydroponics is the wave of the future, and we’re proud to build on our success in tree care, providing solutions to the insects and diseases damaging these plants.”

Eco-Mite™

Eco-Mite is a contact miticide and insecticide. It controls phytophagous mites, eggs, and nymphs. It also controls other piercing-sucking insects including aphids, mealybugs, scale crawlers, thrips, and whiteflies.

Eco-PM™

Eco-PM is a broad-spectrum contact fungicide. It controls diseases such as powdery mildews, botrytis gray mold, and phytophthora late blight on common garden and vegetable plants and vines. It also controls black spot on roses and anthracnose, rust, and powdery mildews on garden ornamentals.

 Click here to view more information about Eco-Mite and Eco-PM.

Eco-Mite™, Eco-PM™, AzaSol™ and Technology Meets Ecology™ are registered trademarks of Arborjet, Inc. Visit arborjet.com for information on product availability. Eco-Mite and Eco-PM are not registered for use in all states. Please check with your state or local extension service prior to buying or using these products.

While you’re in the mindset of loving your local trees, check out this article from American Forests. The organization recently named the top 10 best U.S. cities for urban forests. Spoiler alert: here they are! Austin, Charlotte, Denver, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Sacramento, Seattle and Washington, D.C. were all named to the top 10. Do you agree? Do you think your city should have made the cut?

As you may know, Milwaukee and Minneapolis are both in the Emerald Ash Borer danger zone. Here at Arborjet, we’re actively working with cities and towns in the surrounding areas to identify their options for preserving their urban forests. A great way to celebrate Arbor Day in your own way is to become involved in your community when it comes to saving trees.

When does your state celebrate Arbor Day? What are you going to do to celebrate? We want to hear all about it! Share your plans in the comments. The more we can do to work together to preserve our urban forests, the better our neighborhoods will be for years to come.

According to a recent research study conducted by the US Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station’s Geoffrey Donovan, tree health may be related to human health more closely than previously thought.

The USFS website states, “A new study conducted by station research forester Geoffrey Donovan is the latest to point to connections between public health and the natural environment. Donovan and colleagues analyzed 18 years’ worth of data from 1,296 counties in 15 U.S. states where the invasive emerald ash borer beetle has infested and killed millions of trees. They found that counties infested with emerald ash borer had an additional 15,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 6,000 additional deaths from lower respiratory disease, after accounting for the influence of demographic differences such as income, race, and education. Although the study shows the association between loss of trees and human mortality from cardiovascular and lower respiratory disease, it did not prove a causal link, and the reason for the association is yet to be determined.”

The study was published in the February 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Are you surprised to hear of this potential link?

This article first appeared in the April 2012 edition of “Arborist News” magazine, a publication of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

In recent years, there has been an explosion in the population of invasive tree pests in the United States and Canada. Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorned Beetle, and other insect and disease problems plague the trees in our cities and towns, threatening to change the landscape for future generations.

To combat these pests, many arborists and cities have turned to trunk injection as a successful solution. With the various methods available to the end user, trunk injection offers a flexible, environmentally-responsible alternative to soil drenches and bark sprays. The added benefits of rapid product delivery and excellent results have also helped move the technology forward. With proper training, anyone can master the art of trunk injection and save trees nationwide.

What is trunk injection?

Trunk injection of trees is a way to efficiently treat many different insect and disease problems as well as nutrient deficiencies in a manner that rapidly delivers results. This method also uses the least amount of pesticide when compared to other conventional treatment methods. Through trunk injection, small doses of insect control are carefully measured and injected directly into the tree’s transport tissues, enabling distribution within the tree, but limiting the impact to the environment.

In keeping with good Integrated Pest Management practices, stem or trunk injections typically use the least amount of tree pesticide possible with the greatest amount of control. Stem or trunk injection can be applied in environmentally sensitive areas like schools, parks, playgrounds and near waterways. Pesticide injections can be scheduled in the rain or when it’s windy. They can be done in active areas like golf courses or parks without scheduling conflicts. In addition, there is not nearly the level of cost and risk associated with heavy capital equipment. A trunk injection professional can fit all he/she needs to treat a 90-foot tree in the back of a Mini Cooper.

Why trunk injection?

Retains tree value

Trees provide shade and wind breaks which offer comfort and reduce energy costs. They retain storm water runoff to reduce city water treatment needs and they sequester carbon improving air quality. These savings have a very tangible value. Removal and replacement is also typically 10 times the cost of treatment and you don’t have the tree.

You know that trees are valuable, but just how valuable is a single tree?

• In your yard
• On your street
• At your local park
• Where you shop

One single tree can provide a value of $50-$200 each year. The National Tree Benefit Calculator is a great tool in determining how much value a tree offers a property.

Additionally, a study published in “Arborist News” in April 2009 found consumers were willing to spend 12% more in large cities for goods and services in business districts having trees.

Environmentally- responsible

Imagine protecting trees from invasive pests without worrying about off-target spray or soil applied pesticides. That’s exactly what trunk injection offers. It can be compared to a hospital shot or I.V., injecting formulations directly into the tree’s vascular system where it distributes throughout the tree.

In sensitive, high-traffic areas like neighborhoods, schools, resorts, and golf clubs, this allows the service provider the freedom to treat anytime during the day with the right dose at the right rate at the right time.

Not restricted by weather

Trunk injection can be performed any time during the growing season in nearly any weather conditions—rain, wind, and others. It’s not recommended for when the air temperature is above 90 or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minimum soil temperature is 40 degrees F), allowing the service provider an ample amount of time in most parts of the country to perform injections.

How does it work?

Trunk injection involves using a special injection tool which places and seals the formulation directly into the trunk where it is quickly taken up by the vascular system and distributed throughout the tree. The tree tissue associated with the vascular system of the tree is called the xylem, and it’s responsible for transporting water and nutrients from the roots to the canopy.

Injections are made in the bottom 18 inches of the tree, at intervals of around 6 inches apart. The depth for the injection is between 5/8” and 1 5/8” into the tree.

Trunk injection formulations can take hours to weeks to move throughout the tree. Most often trees are protected within a few days. The benefit of trunk injection is that the treatment is applied directly into the xylem of the tree, thus reducing the time it takes for the tree to be fully protected.

For tree injection to be successful, the applicator must possess an understanding of the basic structure of secondary xylem, its variability, and its responses to injection.  Also necessary to consider are the various formulations of injectable solutions, and how this and other factors affect application performance.  A successful injection delivers a timely and effective dose with minimal injury.

Does it injure the tree?

Trunk injection of systemic insecticides or fungicides is an effective way to manage destructive insects or diseases of trees, but many arborists are still reluctant to inject trees because of the potential for infection by pathogens, structural damage or adverse effects on tree health.

Consider this: the maple syrup you pour on your pancakes is a direct result of drilling and tapping maple trees. This practice has carried on for hundreds of years with no adverse effects for the tree. In reality, trees have adapted to repair themselves from an injury like drilling and tapping. Trees compartmentalize similar wounds without signs of infection, decay, or structural damage.

Not only is the equipment developed in such a way as to use trees’ natural responses, but the formulations are, too. Many years of scientific research in have been dedicated to creating chemical compounds that work quickly, effectively, and do not “burn” the tree. Trunk injection formulations are designed to be water-soluble to move quickly through the tree’s transport tissue.

Here’s an example: there are a large number of imidacloprid products on the market, but some were created for trunk injection and some were created for use in a landscaping spreader or other means. Imidacloprid created for spreading will not work properly if used in trunk injection and may result in severe damage to the tree. Remember, the label is the law.

How can it be used against invasive species?

Trunk injection is ideal in a number of circumstances to combat a variety of tree pests. It’s widely used in the fight against Emerald Ash Borer in the Midwest and Asian Longhorned Beetle. Additionally, trunk injection can be used to treat for Oak Wilt, Dutch Elm Disease, Anthracnose, and Chlorosis.

Most trunk injection treatments are effective for at least one growing season of protection, which means crews only have to visit a job site once each season. This limits the amount of labor costs and overhead associated with tree care, making trunk injection an economically-sound option.

What’s next?

Homeowners and general citizens alike care to keep their trees vibrant and healthy. Tree-lined streets and neighborhoods hold immense value, and protecting that landscape with trunk injection can help you grow your business. For municipalities, it can mitigate the risk of fallen trees due to insect pressure and benefit the economic wellbeing of your city.

Pest Management Strategy

For a tree-care contractor to be successful in the business of providing plant health care services, determining which pest is causing the problem is a critical first step. Failure to properly identify an insect or disease can be a one-way ticket out of that business.

One company — Arborjet, of Woburn, Mass. — has created identification materials that can help tree-care professionals meet this challenge. The firm, which specializes in tree injection equipment and chemicals, has developed the following tools for companies and individuals that offer its products to their clients:

• Arborjet Pocket Guide. This publication is a comprehensive guide to common insects and diseases, and their treatments. The first part of the full-color booklet has the names and photos of the top 25 treatable trees and the most common treatable insects and diseases that affect each tree. The second part lists the insects and diseases and the trees they can infect, followed by a description and treatment for each pest.

• Arborjet Tree Pest Program Planner. Four regional versions focus on the twelve most prevalent tree pest problems for each region of the country. It includes a calendar for the most likely time for emergence and treatment.

“Our staff has more than 150 years of combined arboriculture and tree health care experience and used this knowledge to create our guide,” says Eric Bristol, Arborjet Marketing Manager. “We offer the best resources in the tree-care business for identifying problems and outlining a strategy for treatment. Our library of documents and high-quality YouTube training videos make getting the information you need fast and easy.”

• Arborjet Marketing Support.  Arborjet provides customized sales sheets and doorhangers designed to help tree service companies promote their tree injection service.  The Arborjet website features a zip code search so thousands of homeowners can quickly contact the service providers near them.

Tree injection system

According to Bristol, Arborjet can be a good fit for a tree-care contractor who wants to offer a highly effective systemic tree protection service to customers.  He says there are several advantages to using a tree injection system rather than spraying or soil application of pesticides:

• Customers want tree injection. They choose tree companies that provide it and pay them more for the service.
• The tree receives the correct dose in the right location.
• The eco-friendly system seals the injection inside the tree, meaning there is nothing in the air and nothing in the soil. There is no need to notify the neighbors of treatment, either.
• There is no need to be concerned about wind or rain when injecting a tree, and there are nor restrictions on treatment times or the amount of area that can be treated.
• The system is cost-effective. Chemical expenses will be about the same regardless of the method of application.  The equipment set up time may be slightly longer for beginners, but this unique application method allows usually lasts longer and the tree service provider to charge more for customized service.
• The drill-plug-inject method is easy to learn and fast to apply.  To learn this method there are YouTube videos and training DVDs.

“We have found that tree-care contractors offering our injection system as part of their plant health services to clients are typically doing 15 to 20 percent of their business via this method,” says Bristol. “Providing this service allows them to differentiate themselves from other firms.”

While there are plenty of good options available for developing a sound pest management strategy, Arborjet identification materials can provide a solid foundation for the business.