Land owners encouraged to help stop decline in oak trees in Michigan interlochenpublicradio.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from interlochenpublicradio.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The spotted lanternfly has been hitchhiking its way across the country since 2014. Recently detected in Oakland County, it’s only a matter of time before it lands in Southwest Michigan.
A report on a very hungry caterpillar
Gypsy moths are non-native. They’re considered invasive. The caterpillars feast on oak and many other hardwood leaves, and can defoliate whole trees. By leaving them alone, Andrew wonders if he’s endangering his backyard oak and even the local biome.
“Do I leave them alone, try to get rid of them, somewhere in between? Is there an in between?” he asks.
Reassuringly, there probably is, says Michigan State University entomologist Deb McCullough. She’s studied gypsy moths for years, and says, though the voracious caterpillars can be a nuisance, there’s no need to panic over them.
Oak Wilt Awareness Month in Michigan
Monique Sakalidis, Michigan State University, Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences and Department of Forestry, and Ruth Dorando Marcy, MSU Extension -
April 27, 2021
This campaign raises awareness about oak wilt prevention guidelines: avoid wounding trees between April 15-July 15, seal accidental wounds, do not move firewood, and take prompt action to control outbreaks.
By proclamation of the governor, May has been designated as Oak Wilt Awareness Month in Michigan to bring statewide attention to the value of oaks to Michigan’s environment, recreation and wood products industries, and the need to raise awareness about prevention and management of oak wilt, a disease killing red oaks across the state every year.