Adding Life to Yours!

.

.

Forestry Concerns, Urban Forestry & Benefits of Trees

Pests and Diseases of our Urban Forests.  Are they really in Decline?  Is it Worth the Worry?  Why?

     Forestry Concerns - Pests and Diseases: This article, blog entry or journal page, (however you decide what it is) is not a pretty thought, but is a topic of growing concern that needs addressing. Enough to alert and have grant funding proceeds given to research in stopping the decline and or control of certain dangerous pests and diseases in the United States of America and the North American Continent and ultimately the world.

     Is there really anything to be worried about in this day and age? Sadly, yes more so than ever before due to world commerce. The importation of goods from other countries, mostly wood products, but really any and all products where some tiny bug, fungus spore or virus can stay alive in transit long enough without a living host. Some can even be brought here or transported to somewhere else on a persons clothing or the sole of their shoes. There is no way to check every possibility so the need to find cures and preventions to these growing problems would be the greatest achievements in my opinion. Quarantine wood shipments and other more likely imports from areas that are known. Some diseases like the Panama disease is world wide now and has been since the early 1940's if I read correctly. This affects Musa banana crops and for a number of years there has been research to try and find the most resistant strains to the fungus that causes the yellow and black Sigatoka that can wipe out or lower harvest yields so much that it raises the price drastically. That is just one example.

You can read about these problems in detail at the University of Florida EDIS website, but I'm just going to break it down into a shorter informational page in hopes to notify the general public the dangers and concerns that we are all facing currently and in the future.

     Most people have either had or know of someone that once had a large, mature Dutch Elm Tree and watched them all die. They are almost extinct from our planet while once a very common tree in our forests. Now we mainly only have saplings, young trees and a few trees that were left untouched by the vectors to study for possible treatments, cures or a cultivar that is fully resistant to the disease. The same thing is currently happening to a few more tree species. 

     Recently, it has come to a few Arborists and scientists attention of a rapid decline of the Red Bay Tree (Persea borbonia) that could affect the entire Lauraceous species. The disease is called "Lauralwilt" caused by an ambrosia Beatle, specifically Xyleborus glabratus. It is wiping out entire groves of these trees at an alarming rate. So far with no way to stop it. See Photo below from UF:

The tree on right is the same one as the left only 8 months later.

If you see this string of sawdust coming out of a tree, it is probably the cause of the ambrosia beetle.

     The evergreen Red Bay is the only tree that gives host to the larvae stage or (caterpillar) to the yellow swallowtail butterfly. Without that tree, this particular butterfly will or could become extinct. Who knows what will happen if the Yellow Swallow Tail butterfly becomes extinct? It must be connected to some other living organism either as food or pollen distribution, there is a reason for its existence. The extinction of one living organism creates a chain reaction in our ecosystem as we've been taught since grade school. Some are more profound results than other but they all have an impact on our ecology. The Red Bay tree not only provides us with all the benefits that mature hardwood trees do for humans but the lumber has been used for building boats and interior decorations for a few lucky home owners. Because of the very aromatic leaves of the Red Bay Tree, it is sometimes used as a substitute for the Sweet Bay - (Laurus nobilis), a European native tree that is used as a cooking spice. This tree is also of concern being in the same species. Both of these trees are naturally pyramidal in shape and would make excellent landscape specimens. Everyone is encouraged to plant them as the more of these on the planet purposefully and managed with care, the better chances of survival they have in coming years.

Another tree in the Lauraceous species that could be affected (but I do not think has been compromised to date) by this horrible pest is the Asian native Camphor tree Cinnamomum camphora which is used in a wide variety of medicinal purposes. Mothballs, Lip Balms, external balms to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pains, neuralgia, and back pains, perfume, inhalants, other healing balms and ointments just to name a few. If you break up a fresh leaf and smell, you will know right away that it is a camphor tree. the aroma is overwhelmingly unmistakable. In America, it is considered to be an invasive species, but I have not understood this viewpoint. Birds eat the fruit, use the trees for nesting sites, they are useful to our environment. Camphor trees mature into excellent, huge, hardy, beautiful shade trees and I know of no forests or areas that have been overtaken by this tree. I respect the master arborist's view point on the matter, but agree to disagree about the invasive status or the non usefulness of this tree. They are fast growing and this makes the wood structure less tolerant of high wind conditions considering them to be weaker trees, but I have seen Camphor trees left standing nearby where massive oaks once were due to hurricane force winds. In my opinion, they make a wonderful long term additions to anywhere they are planted.

     There are many species of the Lauraceous that could be affected by this beetle. Time will only tell. The name Lauraceous means of natural odor in Latin. This is a short list of the trees in this species of Lauraceae. It would take an entire page just to name all the trees in this species being around or over 4000 I think. 

     Getting back on topic, the evil vector that is causing all this destruction is the tiny Ambrosia beetle (Xyleborus glabratus) originating from Asia that was transported unknowingly by cargo to America. Most likely within dead wood, lumber products for use in our furniture industry. It was first discovered 2003. A vector is anything that transfers a disease, virus, fungus or pest (in the case of an ant) from one place to another (at least in Arboriculture terms). Small tree animals and Birds can certainly be vectors. Pruning shears that are not properly cleaned in between uses, even from tree to tree on the same landscape can transmit harmful or deadly diseases in any type of horticulture. 

Our forests are obviously being over harvested and depleted in America. Either that or it's the sad case of cheaper labor from other countries? The bottom line being money. It's not money that is the root of all evil, it is the love of money that is the root of all sorts of evil. This seems to ring very true more than ever these days. If I remember correctly, the Asian Ambrosia beetle only needs ONE tiny spot on a huge tree to lay its eggs. Then that tiny creature creates a fungus that is transported throughout the trees vascular system by the xylem and phloem that chokes the tree of nutrients. Much the same way that mistletoe uses a tree as the host. The only difference is that mistletoe usually attacks a weakened tree and the Asian Ambrosia Beetle attacks perfectly healthy, lively trees. In any case, in only a matter of a few weeks or months, the tree is dead and the beetle's larvae are feeding on the fungus that's left in the standing dead tree to grow and spread to another forest stand. Unfortunately, the damage and infestations from ambrosia beetles spreads rapidly from tree to tree in certain arbor species. Currently there is no cure or preventative treatment to stop these beetles from destroying our forests. The problem is lack of funding for research and the lack of public education about the severity of these and other deadly intruders. I have my ideas about ways that might work, but I will save that for a later time. I'm sure they have recently been discussed with doctors in this field of research. Another problem is... that this page is not nearly finished yet.. sorry. will add and finish this writing as time permits.

     Pitch Canker (Fusarium moniliforme var. subglutinans) found primarily on all Pine tree Cultivars and has become world wide spread and an uncontrolled problem in our natural and urban areas of Florida. It is a fungus that spreads via spores in the wind from tree to tree, from other beetles that reproduce in dying wood, from trees touching one another and also carried by other vector insects and some being any bird that flies or moves from tree to tree. Pitch canker is the browning or graying (dying) of the tips of the needles. It usually starts near the inner side of the needle growth and works its way towards the green tips. It isn't always present at the top of tree first or the outer most pine needles. Some healthier trees will tolerate this and can live for years with pitch canker, but weaker trees will die much sooner. They will spread either way and will all eventually succumb to death. After the summer of 2005 here in Florida where it was the rainiest I ever remember living in, we have received the opposite until late summer of 2007 when the rainfall finally began to become more regular. Needless to say the water table is many inches from where it is supposed to be and the trees in the wild and even some landscapes took a severe beating. There are many Live Oaks (Quercus virginiana) and other native Oak trees in our area that have drastically declined over the past 2 years, died or are running very low on reserve. Some old oaks with massive girths above 30+" calipers that were growing near water bodies that had water in them for at least the last 20-30 years steadily have died and those water bodies (some being natural runoff creeks) that once hosted 10lb large mouth bass can now barely host a tadpole. When I get a chance I will ad an a aerial view of an area declining from Pitch canker and some close up photos of the fungus. This photo below taken from the University of Florida's website shows what we can see from a normal viewing distance.

Pine Tree getting eaten alive by Southern Pine Beetles

     My point is that our natural forest has suffered and is suffering a great deal and this is when the pest intruders such as the (SPB) Southern Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann) and diseases such as Pitch Canker can over take a weakened tree very easily. 

       The Southern Pine Beetle or (SPB) is widespread in warmer regions from the southern part of north America to central and south America. They are everywhere and wrecking havoc in many stands of trees. Again there is no way to effectively rid the world of them to date, but scientists are working on methods. Normally a Southern Pine beetle will not attack a healthy tree. If they do happen to invade and find the tree healthy, they might leave. They do leave their tiny pin holes in the bark and is why they are also known as pin hole beetles by some foresters. They need the tree to die and the fungus to spread so they can reproduce. They are however relentless in their pursuit to populate the planet. They invade a tree and produce a fungus that gets into the cambium layer that prevents the flow of nutrients to the tree and if the tree is weak enough will be literally choked to death in a matter of a few weeks. The beetle needs the fungus for its larvae to feed on. Once this is successful, the larger wood boring beetles like a roundhead will come in and use the dead tree, then other beetles and this is when you normally see wood peckers pecking the bark off the tree to get the beetles. Its a chain reaction that leaves one of the most beneficial trees in death.

     As of now, we know of certain beetles or fungi that are host specific. But what if? What if somehow they mutate and decide to begin attacking other trees in the area that were not in danger? We will have an even greater problem on our hands.

    We certainly need a plan to control the pests, the diseases they spread and causes of them or develop ways to prevent. some vectors are beneficial creatures and spread it as they live naturally. It would detrimental to kill off the good with the bad. in these cases, usually 9 out of 10 times, the bad returns sooner than the good and in larger numbers. Nothing good about that. So far we are losing the battle as these and many other hardwood tree, fruit tree and other trees rapidly spreads around the world. Public education is one of the keys, time, research and finally putting into practice what we have learned to be successful if anything at all. If you have learned anything and see anything that you are aware of, please report it to your local agriculture extension or the USDA as soon as possible. You may be able to prevent a beginning plague in your area.

Why we need many trees and their Benefits to society

     Ultimately, we need our forests and the natural woodlands (what's left of them) and what ever trees we can save or replenish in the urban environment especially. Thought continues here... 

The Need for Trees in the Urban Environment

     Having large canopy shade trees in the urban environment is especially important. They provide a safe haven for the smaller wild life that must go somewhere while cities are being built, provide us with cleaner air and reduce the heat index considerably. Yes, we need to focus on the importance of this matter and educate the public as much is possible. Article continues here...

     The difference between the above described pests and the pests mentioned below is that, in the above vectors, they usually bring a type of fungus to the host that gets into the vascular system. once that occurs, there is no treatment known. The fungus is created with purpose by a vector to feed its larvae and pupa and then the cycle begins all over again in another host. Death is the result 99% of the time. The pests mentioned below are mainly organism which feed on the sap or juices of the plants until it is desiccated to death. Sometimes a plant can live for extended seasons if it was healthy enough when the pest invaded or large enough and growing in optimal conditions. Ultimately, they will succumb to the pests as they grow in numbers if not treated. These are treatable in most cases and a plant doesn't necessarily need to be destroyed because of the invasion. Some like the mealy bug are very difficult to get rid of since they overwinter their eggs in the soil and become immune to new pesticides. Biological control is always the best method. To finish the thought, since it is the best method, it is the most expensive and least used.

In recent years the oceans and warmer, larger flowing water bodies have experienced what is known as Red Tide or Algae Blooms.

.

     Thrips - mean little creatures that when looked at with a microscope one would not want one of these near them. They do bite humans, but the main damage is to the woody ornamentals and many other foliage plants. Thrip damage is easily recognized by deformed, unformed buds, mangled new leaves that never open correctly. Twisted, wrinkled and crinkled leaf tips and buds with chlorosis looking spots. They are very tiny about 2 cm long when mature. They do have a few natural predators, the best one being the Lacewing insect (Chrysoperla rufilabris). 

     White Flies (White Fly) - Suck the juices from the underside of leave of a very wide variety of tropical plants and woody ornamental. They lay their eggs, then the larvae hatch and attach to the same leaf and continue to feed on the leaves until they mature and the pattern begins all over again. If not treated immediately after discovering them, they can become out of control and extreme in numbers. They will cause bad damage. White Fly can be easily controlled by natural and systemic methods.

     Mealy Bugs - The destruction from mealy bugs is similar in appearance to thrips, but are easily seen as white cottony areas of the plants usually near the new wood, shoots or buds. Since they have a waxy coating that repels many insecticides and soaps, they are very difficult to be rid of and plants (and the soils they are living in) should actually be burned. If not burned then certainly removed from your landscape. Yes, they are that serious a threat and hard to control. many nurseries over the last couple years have lost acres of crops to this extreme pest that resulted in entire loss of revenues.

     Aphids - Numerous and come in many colors. Some fly while others only crawl. They suck the plant juices as well and get deep into the newest parts of a plant like many in this category. They can be easily controlled but without real effort can become wide spread rapidly. Ants like to farm these more than any other pest and eat their honeydew leftovers.

     Asian Scale - This one is easy to spot from over 20 feet away if conditions are bad enough and they mainly stay on palms and cycads, but have been known to be found feeding on more succulent or tropical type plants in recent years such as Alocasias and Xanthosoma species (probably some others). From a distance a Sago palm with an early stage  infestation will look kind of pretty. It resembles a snowy, purposed appearance from a distance. As if you sprayed it on with that Christmas fake snow spray for the windows. As you get closer you will see the necrotic leaf spots and fuzzy spots from the ground to the newest leaves. In a short period, the leaves turn yellow and appear as a mineral deficiency, but will completely die if not treated. These are actually very easy to remedy, but it is now has escaped into the wild, at least here in parts of Florida. I have seen it in just about every landscape with the home owners either unaware or think that they cannot control it. Recently I have witnessed it on a few areas of young Sabal palms in an urban area. This is out of hand. If the home owners would only take time to know what was going on. (maybe their landscapers could notify them? They could help control and keep it down to a minimum. Asian scale is very treatable at the moment and probably always will be. You can never tell what the future holds, but for now there is an effective, inexpensive and easy treatment to rid a garden or landscape of the Asian scale pests.

    Fire ants (which are an import to America, a non-native invasive, painful stinging creature) and many other Ants will actually 'farm' most of these pests (not sure if they need help with the White Fly), helping to spread them from plant to plant. They all produce a honeydew type residue which is the cause of the black Sooty Mold that many people hate looking at. If you see ants on your plants, chances are, there is some type of pest feeding on the plants. The only thing I have found that works to rid the colony is Amdro. Its expensive but well worth not getting bit or your kids not getting stung 50 times before they know what's going on. The breed so numerous, its simply overwhelming.

     Common Slugs and Snails - Use snail baits and manually remove and destroy them as you see them. They spread fungal diseases and eat your plants.

     Africanized Honey Bees - These are ramped now in Florida and many parts of the Southern United States from only a few years coming in from the ports in Texas, California and in Florida: Jacksonville, Tampa and Miami. The worse thing besides their incredible long lasting and quick tempered rage is that they can and do find the European Honey bee hive colonies that are farm raised and used in the citrus industry and other horticulture means, then they literally steal the entire hive's population. Usually bringing them into a private natural area to interbreed with the queen. When they do this, the European Bees die off and Africanized bee population grows larger and larger while the European Honey bee colonies decline. The scary things is that there is absolutely NO difference in appearance between the AHB (Africanized Honey Bee) and the EHB (European Honey Bee) expect for DNA testing. They look identical. The Africanized Honey Bees will swarm (or break away from the original colony to create a new colony) within as few as 12 bees whereas the European Honey Bees will not usually do this unless there are about 50-200. The AHB can live anywhere and will use any place that is undisturbed long enough to build a hive. Inside the eaves of people's homes, a dead log in a vacant lot, a stack of unused piping in someone's yard or beside their home that have been there for a short time, etc. They are not very choosy. They are however very mean and relentless when it comes to protecting the queen and their hives. Even their honey is about 1/3 the production as European Honey Bees. There is nothing good about them. They are really a man made experiment gone bad in order to try and make the European Honey Bees produce more honey, more quickly due to their rapid swarming habits. They will chase their target for over 50 yards in order to sting them and not stop until the victim is covered and some people have died from these terrible creatures.

     Pink Hibiscus Mealy Bug - This mean bug has caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the horticulture industry already. it is better to destroy the plant than to try and treat them. They are that bad. They attack a wide range of plants and are now found all over through wide distribution of unknown contaminated plants.

     Wooly Aphid - looks like a big mealy bug but is just as bad and they jump! Very easy to spot.

If you quarantine your plants for 2-3 weeks after ANY new introductions, this can be effective in control of many pests.

All garden centers and nurseries care about what they grow, at least they should. None that I know of would want to be the distributor of any pest. Unfortunately the pests don't understand this concept and even with all diligence practiced, a small infestation may occur to any grower. It is always a good idea to quarantine all new introductions before placing them with your favorites. My main concern is that as pests and fungal spores develop immunities to certain pesticides and fungicides and as they continue to grow out of control, they will escape into the wild where not a soul is watching out for and ruin the natural beauty of our ever decreasing woodlands and wetlands. Already they are creating havoc in some nurseries, home landscapes and food crop plantations where people are aware and watching. Hopefully I am wrong, but I can't be the first person to think this. It isn't just a gardening problem anymore. If certain destructive pests escape uncontrolled into the wildscape of our natural areas, it could wipe out the native vegetation in the untouched and preserved areas where our beloved plants give us beauty, health and quality of life. One problem is that while a pest from its native region may not completely overtake and kill its natural host, when it does find a few unsuspecting host that is non-native, it may be 10 times more destructive. That really could spell danger for that areas native vegetation. What will take its place? Sometimes nothing. I found in an area a small patch of Asian scale growing on a Sabal palm juvenile. I removed the leaves just to at least make an effort. It was 2 feet away from a water body and that could send those things down the way to the next weakened plant. This Asian scale problem is way out of hand could easily be controlled! It is very annoying to me to see yards filled with snowy looking cycads and watch them turn yellow and then die eventually while the lawn maintenance crew stops in once a month to green it up and ignores the in your face obvious. 

     Science is researching some of these if not all known to them and biocontrol companies are privately researching them. Along with help from neighbors and word of mouth about basic identifications and reporting to the USDA and the correct University of Florida personnel involved, we can at least attempt to control these problems before its too late.

I would hope that all who read this or know about this can help spread the word.

Thank you for spending your time reading this, 

David Mattocks

Below are a few Musa Banana Plants & Other Tropicals we usually Have Available

Red Iholene Hawaiian Banana Plants		Musa Basjoo Banana Plant		Ice Cream Blue Java Banana Plant		Musa Kru Sunset Banana Plant		Musa Siam Ruby Red Leaf Banana		Colocasia Ele Paio Variegated

A New beginning, a new Central Florida Farms for 2008!

Treat yourself to a bit of the Tropics! 

Lady Finger Banana

Submit Your Photo and if we use it, receive a $15.00 credit towards any plant from our website!

Central Florida Farms Home Page

No Minimum Order!

Alocasia | Banana | Xanthosoma | Colocasia | Gingers | Diverse Tropical Plants | Fruit Trees

Rare Palms & Cycads | Cold Hardy Palm List | Aquarium Pond Bog Plants | Florida Native Plants

Hardwood Trees, Woody Ornamentals | Ferns, Ground Cover, Fruit Vines | Indoor/House Plants

Urban Forestry | Natural Forestry | Diseases & Pests | Hurricanes | Going Green  Environment

Aroid Elephant Ear Plant Growing Tip Care Guide | Banana Tree Plant Growing Tip Care Guide

Site Map | Florida Native Aquarium Fish | Aquarium Info | Help for Fish Enthusiasts | Water

About Central Florida Farms | Alocasia Seed Pollination | Tropical Plant Photo Gallery

Wholesale | Terms & Agreement | Submit a Photo  | Promotions | Useful Links

Wholesale Palms

info@centralfloridafarms.com

The New Gallery Search Engine!

Visitors

©2001-2008 All Photos Noted & Text are property of David Mattocks and Central Florida Farms, and may not be used on other sites or ebay - International Copyrights Reserved
This website's original material may not be re-published, plagiarized, re-distributed or web scraped