Elkinton said he is hopeful this year’s rain and entomophaga maimaiga fungus will “wipe out the problem and make it a non-problem” and “drive the system to low density again.” (South Coast Today 6/18/17)
News from the Media
It is taking place in parking lots, along the sides of roads and anywhere their roots have been unable to spread: diseased white pine trees. UMass Extension comments. (Sun Chronicle 6/10/17)
Gypsy moth eggs were first seen hatching near the Quabbin in late April. They have settled there, because of the abundant oak and maple trees. UMass entomologist Tawny Simisky explained how defoliation affects our trees.
“That can weaken the trees and make them more susceptible to secondary invaders- so, other organisms that really aren’t a big problem unless the tree is otherwise unhealthy,” Simisky said. (WWLP 6/12/17)
AMHERST, Mass. – Biology professor Lynn Adler at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, an expert in pollination and plant-insect interactions, recently received a three-year, $1 million grant from a special "pollinator health" program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the role that sunflower pollen may play in improving bee health. (San Francisco Chronicle, Charlotte Observer, McClatchy, D.C., Western Mass News, WWLP-TV 22 [All from AP], 6/11/17; Phys.org, 6/8/17 ScienceMag 6/8/17; News Office 6/8/17).
A cold, wet and dreary spring may energize a biological control that will limit damage to trees from gypsy moths. Tawny Simisky, a UMass Extension entomologist, comments. (Worcester Telegram 6/4/17)
The gypsy moth caterpillar’s hairs are typically not an issue for most individuals. Tawny Simisky, entomologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst Extension, comments. She said, "For the majority of the population, gypsy moth caterpillars do not cause allergic reactions. This can be dependent upon an individual’s amount and duration of exposure, as well as their own sensitivities." (Cape Cod Times 5/23/17)
BOSTON (AP) — A year after the peach crop in the northeastern United States hit the pits, growers and agricultural experts are anticipating a healthy rebound in 2017. "There was no peach crop in Massachusetts last year," said Jon Clements, a fruit specialist at the University of Massachusetts Extension. (5/14/17 USNews, Boston Herald, Concord Monitor)
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Should New England states spray insecticides to kill gypsy moths before they cause another year of widespread tree defoliation? Some politicians want the government to help eradicate the pests, though entomologists, including Joseph Elkinton, entomology professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, say forests will be better off if nature takes care of itself. (5/7/17 Sun Chronicle)” Tawny Simisky, UMass Extension, says a natural fungus has been killing some of the gypsy moths since 1989. (WWLP-TV 22, 5/8/17)
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – They are known for spreading Lyme disease, but ticks can also spread another serious illness. It is called Powassan virus, and it affects the brain. Dr. Stephen Rich, director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at UMass Amherst explained for 22News the danger that this disease poses.
Photo feature shows flowering trees in bloom now in western Massachusetts. Author credits UMass Extension Assistant Professor Amanda Bayer. (Advocate, 5/5/17)