Old Field Report (what problems I am seeing in NH, MA and ME)

06/27/09

Winter Moth was huge this year in Massachusetts around Topsfield. I have not seen this pest in NH yet but that does not mean it is not here yet.
Eriophyid mites have been growing in populations on Hemlock and Spruce. These mites do not need the hot dry weather of other mites.
Red Thread seems to be on almost every lawn I see in NH
Black knot on Prunus is heavy.
Note that some diseases such as Red Thread and Black knot can spread with infected tools. Diseases often run through developments as landscapers travel from lawn to lawn and tree to tree without sterilizing equipment.
Apple Scab, Fire blight and Cedar Apple rust are also common this year due to the weather.
Lily leaf beetle were everywhere this year. If you lost your flowers and leaves think about doing something in the spring, its too late to bother this year for the most part. These things are pretty easy to kill with low toxicity products, but hatch for a long period so have to be treated almost weekly. You can soil treat when the lilies first show through the soil and this will control them for a full year.

The usual suspects on the landscape at this time of year regular mites, lacebug, Mealybug are still low in populations due to the cold wet weather.

I am seeing increasingly more scale insects but this is usually on and around customers properties that have been treated with broad spectrum insecticides. Many of these broad spectrum chemicals will kill scale in its vulnerable stage, but that is only about 2-3 weeks long. The rest of the time people are using these to kill scale it is doing nothing but killing all the predators. I can always tell that one product in particular has been used the year before I see a property because of the amount and variety of scale insects.

I am sure we will be seeing a lot more diseases because of the weather. Most of which it will be too late to do anything about for this year.