The state of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection administers the written portions of the Connecticut Arborist License Exam. 

These exams are by appointment only.  For information, contact DEP Pesticide Division at:  860 424-3369

Those who pass the written exam will be eligible for the Tree Identification and Oral parts of this test, given by the Tree Protection Examining Board.  Successful candidates will be recommended by the TPEB to DEP for licensing.

DEP also administers the Pesticide Operator's Examination on a regular basis in both West Hartford and New Haven.  Contact the DEP Pesticide Division for details.

ARBOR DAY 2001

Arborists and those who practice tree care are lucky.  Perhaps alone among professionals, we have a national holiday – Arbor Day – dedicated to what we as professionals hold most dear.  While florists might suggest that they have Valentine’s Day (or is that cardiologists?), and dentists might say the same about Halloween, it is not the same.  In those cases, it is the symbol of the holiday that touches on their profession, but not the holiday itself.  For tree care professionals, Arbor Day is special because it is a celebration of trees.

The Connecticut Tree Protective Association again was a leader in the celebration of Arbor Day in Connecticut.  Central among the day’s events was the annual Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony, held this year at Dinosaur State Park, in Rocky Hill.  During this ceremony, each of the winners of CTPA’s Arbor Day Essay Contest were honored for the poem or essay they submitted.  These students were selected from among all of the entries from their county.  Altogether, seven of the state’s eight counties were represented.  Also during the event, a zelkova was planted to commemorate Arbor Day 2001, and to recognize all of the fifth grade students who submitted poems or essays to the contest.  

 During the tree planting ceremony, the student winners were invited to read their entry to the assembled group.  Listening to these entries, one is impressed with the heartfelt connection these young people have with trees, and their sincerity in expressing this connection.  One is also reassured for the future of our state, if these young folks are at all indicative of those who be responsible for its care and management in the years to come.  (To see a list of winners, click here.)

CTPA Arbor Day Chairman Ken Placko ably directed the events of the day as Master of Ceremonies.  It was Ken who made the contacts, found the tree, scheduled the activities and then led the celebrants through the program.  Ken was assisted by Board Members Jeff Ward, Doug Pistawka and Larry Dvorsky.  Mark Sullivan, as previous Chairman of the Committee, also lent his support.

A special thanks goes to Mr. Rich Krueger, Superintendent of Dinosaur State Park.  One of Mr. Krueger’s projects at the Park is the establishment of an arboretum.  In this arboretum, he is including species of trees that are representative of the plant families known from the fossils to date back to the era of the dinosaurs.  During the ceremony, Mr. Krueger explained to the audience why a zelkova was chosen.  The Ulmacaeae is one of those ancient plant families, and no representative of the elm family had been previously planted in the park.  Mr. Krueger expressed his delight with the addition.

The CTPA Ceremony was not the only Arbor Day event in which CTPA members were actively engaged.  For example, each of the eight Tree City USA’s in Connecticut held Arbor Day events.  In Fairfield, Ken Placko, as Tree Warden, hosted a tree planting in the Southport section of town.  In Danbury, East Hartford and Wethersfield, tree plantings were also held.  In Southbury, Pat Kearns lent his expertise to the Southbury Historical Tree Commission for their Arbor Day event, while in Groton, Marty Schoonman and Sam Popinchalk worked to arrange a tree planting at the Claude Chester School.  In Middletown, as part of their Arbor Day celebration, a large copper beech was dedicated to the memory of recently departed prominent doctor.  Bruce Spaman was instrumental in that event.  Meanwhile, in Stamford, Scott Richardson of Bartlett Tree, as Chair of the Stamford Tree Commission, oversaw the planting of a young Kwanzan cherry in Mill River Park.  This tree fills a gap in a spectacular series of mature cherries planted in the park as a gift from a Japanese businessman 40 years ago.  This year’s event was held in association with the Fairfield County Japan Society.

John Kehoe, Acting City Forester in Hartford, hosted two Arbor Day events.  The first was a dedication of two newly planted dogwoods at the Clark Street School, in a project involving the fourth grade class in the school.  In addition, John worked with the friends of Bushnell Park in the dedication of new cherry trees, planted near to the reflecting pool in that park.

CURRENT STATUS OF FOREST INSECT PESTS AND DISEASES - 2001

By Carol R. Lemmon
CT Agricultural Experiment Station
New Haven

The following article is contributed by Carol R. Lemmon, Researcher at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Assistant State Entomologist.  This article reviews the insect monitoring work that Carol and her staff has been engaged in over the past year.  Similar articles for previous years have been included in past editions of the Connecticut Arborist. 

GYPSY MOTHS

 Above average precipitation starting in April and continuing throughout July most likely contributed to the suppression of gypsy moths during the summer of 2000.  Entomophaga maimaiga, the pathogenic fungus that has been suppressing gypsy moths in our state since 1989, is moisture dependent.  Usually, a gypsy moth buildup is preceded by a drought the previous summer, such as we experienced in 1999.  Nevertheless, our annual statewide aerial survey indicated that 177 acres of woodlands were defoliated in Mansfield Hollow State Park in Windham County. 

A 7-mile grid survey for egg masses was conducted at 102 sites throughout Connecticut.  Survey results indicate that the defoliated site in Mansfield Hollow has approximately 8,000 egg masses per acre.  Based on past experience, we find that light defoliation can occur when there are 112 medium to large egg masses per acre. Four hundred to 1000 egg masses per acre cause moderate defoliation and 700 to 2000 egg masses per acre causes heavy defoliation.  Many of the egg masses on the outer fringe of the Mansfield site are large and contain about 600 to 1200 eggs per cluster.  Most of the area has medium-sized masses, which contain 250 to 600 eggs.  Diseases, parasites and/or predators of the gypsy moth can influence the amount of defoliation as can a cold wet spring.  We plan to monitor this area next spring and investigate how all of these factors interact with Entomophaga maimaiga.

 PINE SHOOT BEETLES

 In July of 1992, pine shoot beetles (native to Europe and Asia) were discovered on a Christmas tree plantation in Ohio.  The adult beetles are small, ranging from 3 to 5 mm in length, have a cylindrical body with black head and thorax and reddish-brown to black wing covers.  The beetle does not attack all conifers and is primarily limited to pine species.  Although Scotch pine is usually preferred, other species, such as Austrian pine, jack pine, red pine and eastern white pine, are readily infested.  In late March when temperatures reach 50-54°, the beetles emerge from the base of pine trees where they overwinter under the bark within 20 to 40 cm of ground level.

  Recently, these beetles caused severe mortality in heavily infested large stands of native white, Scotch and jack pines in Ontario, Canada.  Counties in Ohio, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Vermont, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine, West Virginia and the province of Ontario, Canada have been quarantined because of pine shoot beetle activity.

 Because of the potential of this beetle to impact our native eastern white pine, urban trees, landscape ornamentals and the Christmas tree and nursery industries, we conduct surveys of Christmas trees shipped from quarantined states as well as Connecticut Christmas tree farms during fall and early winter.  We inspected 23,851 trees on 85 farms totaling 700 acres.  In addition, we inspected 12,215 cut Christmas trees at 180 locations throughout our eight counties.  Pine shoot beetles were not found in Connecticut.

 HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID

The Hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, an exotic insect that apparently originated in Japan and became established in Virginia in 1921, was introduced into Connecticut in 1985.  In just a few years, it spread throughout Connecticut and now has moved further into Rhode Island, New York, and Massachusetts.  Several months ago, it was discovered in New Hampshire.  A biological control organism, the ladybird beetle, Pseudoscymnus tsugae, has been reared and released by Dr. Mark McClure and his staff in an effort to control the adelgid.  They have released more than 131,000 adult beetles at 18 sites throughout Connecticut.  Dr. McClure conjectures that the warmer winters, coastal sites and areas around moving water and unfrozen lakes, due to warmer ambient air temperatures are beneficial to the adelgid.  However, several northern sites experienced temperatures below a critical level of minus 5° Fahrenheit during January 2000.  This drop in temperature caused greater than 93% mortality in the adelgid.  The decline in the adelgid population, above average rainfall, a cool moist spring and summer are all beneficial to the recovery of the hemlocks stressed by last year’s drought and enhances the beetle’s chances for control.

 ELONGATE HEMLOCK SCALE

The elongate hemlock scale, Fiorinia externa, primarily a pest of hemlock, was first discovered in Queens, NY in 1908.  It has severely infested hemlocks, Tsuga canadensis, in Connecticut since the 1950’s.  This armored scale insect feeds on the nutrients in the needles by means of its piercing, sucking mouthparts.  Dispersion to other trees is usually achieved by the crawler stage, which is often wind borne or carried by birds or mammals.  Crawlers significantly proliferate on hemlocks stressed by drought and adelgids.  Their numbers have increased considerably and they have a profound impact on the diminishing health of our native hemlocks.

 ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLE

During August of 1996, a new exotic longhorned beetle from Asia, Anoplophora glabripennis, was discovered attacking trees in Brooklyn and Amityville, New York.  This exotic woodborer has spread to several boroughs in New York and now occurs in two locations in Chicago. This woodborer has attacked species of maple, horse chestnut, birch, poplar, willow, elm and hibiscus.  Various systemic insecticides are now being tested which target the larval stage of the beetle as it feeds initially in the sapwood.

 We have worked with UDSA/APHIS Plant Protection Quarantine division personnel in our search for Asian longhorned beetle by conducting a delimiting survey for its presence in southwestern Connecticut.  Our staff inspected 25 grid-point sites that included a total of 3,907 trees.  In addition, our surveys included examining trees in areas around the harbors of Bridgeport, Groton, New Haven and New London.  The trees around the harbors and in nearby parks were examined by binoculars and telescopes from the ground before leaves appeared in the spring.  A total of 52 house calls were made to private homes and businesses at their request to examine boreholes in trees on their property.  Below is a table indicating the counties and number of trees inspected.  All surveys were negative.

 BUTTERNUT CANKER

Butternut Canker, Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum, a fungus new to science, was first discovered to be killing butternut trees in 1967.  Since that time, it has rapidly spread throughout the United States often by air-borne fungal spores that are dispersed long distances during cool temperatures and overcast skies. The fungus infects young twigs via the leaf scar, older stems via adventitious buds, natural bark cracks and wounds.  Cankers form from infected sites.  Large limbs and tree trunks succumb to the fungus as a result of the girdling effect of multiple coalescing cankers.

 We have tagged 755 trees as a part of our program to follow the progress of butternut canker within Connecticut to hopefully find trees that may be resistant to the fungus.  Each year we cut scions from butternuts that are still healthy and send them to New Hampshire to test butternuts for resistance.  The scions are grafted to walnut stock, and when the graft heals, the trees are challenged with the fungus to determine resistance.  No trees in Connecticut or other states have shown any signs of resistance thus far.  Ninety-two percent of the butternuts in our program are infected with butternut canker. 

 If you have butternut trees on your property that you would allow us to monitor, or if you know of a site in Connecticut where butternut trees occur, please call us at 203-974-8474.

 NECTRIA CANKER 

Nectria canker, caused by the fungus, Nectria galligena, is widespread in forests and affects more than 60 trees and shrubs in North America.  The cankers form large target-shaped sunken areas on trees, killing the bark and callus areas.  Coalescing cankers ultimately kill large branches and trees rendering them useless for lumber.  Nectria has played an important role in attacking black birch, Betula lenta, in Connecticut forests.  Black birch is one of the early success ional trees that rapidly envelop areas when there is a clearcut or opening in the canopy.  Current research at the CT Agricultural Experiment has found that the impact of Nectria on black birch in our forests correlates with the way the forest has previously been managed.  Results indicate that unmanaged mixed stands have a low incidence of the fungus and stands that were clear-cut 20 to 40 years ago often have heavy nectria canker infections.

 THE SMALLER JAPANESE CEDAR LONGHORN BEETLE

The smaller Japanese cedar longhorn beetle, Callidiellum rufipenne, was found in Milford Connecticut in 1998 in a live arborvitae branch, Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald green’.  This beetle is native to China, Japan and Korea where it usually attacks dead, weakened or freshly cut trees.  This beetle has been found in about a half dozen species of apparently healthy nursery stock as well as infesting native eastern red cedar, Juniperus virginiana.

 We have established a quarantine for Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, Middlesex and New London Counties and have inspected 524 nurseries, garden centers and homeowners yards.  To slow the spread of this beetle, our only option at this time is to burn or chip infested trees and cedar products, or to bury the chips.  We have found four parasites that attack the cedar longhorn beetle and are investigating them for potential biological control.

 CHLOROPHORUS  ANNULARUS

 An exotic longhorn beetle, Chlorophorus annularus, was found in August in cut bamboo in a California warehouse.  Dead adults and larvae and one live larva were isolated from bamboo poles that originated in China.  Live adults and larvae were likewise found in bamboo inspected in other states.   Many of these bamboo poles were shipped to nursery/garden stores, landscapers and tree services that use them to stake trees upright.    Adult longhorn beetles have been found emerging from bamboo stakes in nurseries in other states, creating a very high risk of dispersing this beetle and infesting other hosts, which include sweetgum, Liquidamber styraciflua, as well as grape vines and pear trees.  We found dead beetles and damaged poles in New Haven and Litchfield Counties in Connecticut.

 FOREST HEALTH MONITORING PLOTS  

During the summer of 2000, we examined 51 permanent, one-acre forest plots that were established to monitor forest health in Connecticut.  These plots are located on state, Nature Conservancy, and municipal water company properties.  When we established the plots, we listed 25 pathogens that we would monitor in the plots, and determined which trees served as hosts.  We chose plots within each of our eight counties that contained the host species we needed.  Within each plot, 20-30 trees were tagged for long-term studies.  We measure and record the diameter of the trees each year as well as evaluate them for signs of defoliation and disease designed to reflect damage or decline.  There was no noticeable change in the health of our forest plots during the summer of 2000. 

 

 

CURRENT STATUS OF FOREST INSECT PESTS AND DISEASES - 2000

By Carol R. Lemmon

CT Agricultural Experiment Station

New Haven

 

 During the summer of 1999, we examined 51 permanent, one-acre forest plots that were established to monitor forest health in Connecticut. These plots are located on state, Nature Conservancy, and municipal water company properties. We considered 25 pathogens for monitoring and determined which trees served as host plants. Within each plot, 20 to 30 trees were tagged for long-term studies. We evaluated signs of defoliation and disease, such as dead tree branches, limbs and crowns. Descriptions and determinations are designed to reflect increasing damage or tree decline. There was no noticeable change in the health of our forest plots during the summer of 1999. We will continue to use these plots to monitor the forests to assess whether our state forests remain healthy or are declining.

 GYPSY MOTH

Our annual aerial survey for gypsy moth defoliation took place in early July 1999. During this aerial survey of 1.8 million acres of urban/suburban forest in all eight Connecticut counties, no gypsy moth defoliation was found.

A statewide 7-mile grid survey for egg masses was conducted at 102 sites during the late fall and early winter of 1999. Nine of the 1/16 acre grid point sites had egg masses. Despite the drought of 1999 the Entomophaga maimaiga fungus killed caterpillars and kept the numbers of egg masses down. Masses per acre are small enough (average 16 egg masses per acre at 9 sites) to not cause concern about gypsy moth defoliation for 2000.

In work on the Entomophaga maimaiga fungus that attacks gypsy moths, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station Scientist, Dr. Ron Weseloh has found that the number of fungus resting spores in the soil is greatest in areas of Connecticut that were most recently defoliated. If the defoliation occurred more than 10 years ago, few viable resting spores remained. This parallels other research by Dr. Weseloh in which some resting spores collected in 1990 germinated years later. However, the amount of germination decreased to virtually nothing after 10 years. In the early 1990’s this viable fungus suppressed the gypsy moth. It is likely that there are fewer viable resting spores in the soil now because the suppression has reduced the number of gypsy moths becoming infected. It is possible, as the viable resting spores decrease both in number and viability each year, that some new localized outbreaks of gypsy moths might occur, especially after a dry spring and summer.

 PINE SHOOT BEETLE

The Pine shoot beetle, Tomicus piniperda, is an exotic pest of conifers, It was first discovered in Ohio in 1992. The beetle was probably introduced into this country by foreign ships carrying beetle-infested wood as dunnage. Counties in Ohio, New York, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire, West Virginia and the province of Ontario, Canada have been quarantined because of these beetle infestations.

One hundred and thirty-one Christmas tree farms in 57 Connecticut towns were inspected for pine shoot beetles during 1999. This inspection encompassed 971 acres of trees and the individual examination of 39,264 Christmas trees. The trees were examined by walking along the rows looking for damage. Pine shoot beetles were not found in Connecticut.

In late November and December, we examined 6,078 Christmas trees owned by 84 dealers in 50 towns and 8 Connecticut counties. The trees were inspected for over-wintering pine shoot beetle adults in the base of tree trunks or beetle damage. We were especially concerned about Christmas trees that were shipped into Connecticut from states that have Tomicus piniperda infestations. Pine shoot beetles were not found in Connecticut.

In Ontario the Pine shoot beetle was found well outside its quarantine area causing severe mortality, up to 100%, in some stands of native white pine. Other conifers infested in the area were stands of Scotch and jack pines. This was the first major infestation of white pine that has been reported, and it was never really considered to be a major host of this pest. This find causes some trepidation as New York, Vermont and New Hampshire all have infestations and white pine is the only major conifer in Connecticut that is not already undergoing insect attack.

 HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID Adelges Adelges tsugae

The hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae, has slowly spread its way northward since its first occurrence along coastal Connecticut in 1985 and now can be found in all of the 169 towns in Connecticut. Since that time it has also moved into New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has been either cutting or arranging the cutting of these dying infested hemlocks since the late 1980’s and has increased the number of cuts from about 100 acres per year to about 500.

Dr. Mark McClure, Chief Scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Valley Laboratory, has mass reared and released a biological control coccinellid beetle, Pseudoscymnus tsugae, new to science, which he discovered in Japan and described. However, Connecticut’s approximately 23 million hemlock trees continues to be in a state of decline despite the release of these lady bug beetles. The addition of 54,226 beetles brings the number of these biological control agents to more than 100,000 in Connecticut where they have been released on 16 sites. The drought in the summer of 1999 and several recently mild winters allowed both the adelgid and the elongate hemlock scale, Fiorinia externa, to proliferate and add to this decline. Fortunately, the severity of the 1999-2000 winter has knocked back the adelgid in the northern part of the state by 85-100% and by 15-30% in the southern towns. Dr. McClure reports a pattern of die-off for adelgids during very cold winters. He reports that in areas around moving water or unfrozen lakes there is less of a die-off of the adelgid. He surmises that this effect may be due to warmer ambient air temperatures around these bodies of water, raising them above the critical level of minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. This decline in the adelgid population may put the ladybug beetle in a more favorable position to control the adelgid.

ASIAN LONGHORNED BEETLES

During August of 1996, a new exotic longhorned beetle from Asia, Anoplophora glabripennis, was discovered attacking trees in Brooklyn and Amityville, New York.

Our search for this beetle in Connecticut includes examining trees in areas around the harbors in Bridgeport, Groton, New Haven, and New London. We spent several days at each of these areas surveying host trees near the waterfront and surrounding streets and parks. Trees were examined with binoculars in early spring before leaves appeared on the trees. In addition, we inspected trees containing boreholes at the homes of private citizens who were concerned that the Asian longhorned beetle might be present. Currently we are assisting USDA/APHIS/PPQ with a 36 point grid survey. All surveys were negative.

BUTTERNUT CANKER

Butternut Canker, (Sirococcus clavigigninti-juglandacearum), is a pathogenic fungus, which was first documented in the United States in 1967. Sirococcus cankers can develop in three weeks on twigs, limbs and the surface of roots and tree trunks. Fungal spores, which are washed down the tree, spread the organism. Coalescing cankers girdle the limbs and tree trunks, killing the trees. There is no known cure for this disease, but resistant trees may exist in our native butternut population. During the summer of 1999, we examined 630 tagged butternut trees for Sirococcus cankers. Approximately 80% (508) of these trees had butternut cankers present. At this time, 93 trees remain free of cankers, 9 trees have been cut down, and 20 trees died.

Butternut Canker 1999 Summary

County	Infected Trees	Healthy Trees	Trees Cut Down	Dead Trees
Fairfield	27	1	0	0
Hartford	288	56	9	11
Litchfield	36	4	0	3
Middlesex	37	10	0	1
New Haven	39	13	0	4
New London	18	2	0	0
Tolland	39	3	0	1
Windham	24	4	0	0
Totals	508	93	9	20

SMALLER JAPANESE CEDAR LONGHORN BEETLE

The smaller Japanese cedar longhorn beetle, Callidiellum rufipenne, was found in Milford, Connecticut 1998 in a live arborvitae branch, Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald green’. This beetle is native to Japan, Korea and eastern China. It usually attacks dead, weakened, or freshly cut trees. This is the first time it has infested live trees. This beetle has been found in several other native and ornamental conifers in Connecticut forest and nurseries recently. It has the potential to be a northern New England forest pest.

During 1999, we conducted 371 inspections of Connecticut nurseries and homeowners for the smaller Japanese cedar longhorn beetle. Twenty-seven thousand and sixty-four Thuja, Juniperus and Chamaecyparis plants were inspected for signs of longhorn beetle damage. One hundred and sixty-five plants were found infested. These plants were confiscated and destroyed by burning in accordance with quarantine regulations in Connecticut. Eight thousand, six hundred and eighty-two cedar poles were also inspected. Thirty-two were found infested and destroyed. We also inspected 843 other cedar products (artificial Christmas trees, planters, and decorative animals) that originated in China. Fourteen products that were infested with Callidiellum were confiscated and burned.