Kick Off For NISAW
Happy National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW)! As events are taking place around the country, spreading the word about invasive species, we teamed up with our friend Andrea Locke WNY PRISM Coordinator to kick things off with a training session on Asian Long-horned Beetle (ALB), Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA). We had 16 people in attendance of the training session and had a brave few stay for the outdoor survey portion of the training, bearing the cold temperatures while searching for HWA here at RTPI. We are happy to report that we didn’t find any in...
Read MoreEarly Signs of Emerald Ash Borer
At about the size of a tic-tac, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) doesn’t seem like it could possibly do much harm; however, its size allows its invasion to often go undetected. The ash borer is a non-native wood boring beetle that is capable of causing thousands of dollars of damage to ash trees, which make up 10% of New York’s forest and are favorable for planting along street sides in urban centers and towns. With an invader that is so small and with so many trees, how is it possible to detect this unwelcome bug? Knowing the signs and symptoms can help catch this intruder early in...
Read MoreDowny Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) are a common sight in the region and can typically be seen hammering away at the bark of a tree, attempting to uncover a nice juicy larval insect. These woodpeckers aren’t terribly picky, and have recently been found to munch down Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) larvae, an invasive species of beetle attacking ash trees. As EAB has spread throughout several states, scientists have been seeing rising population numbers as a result of increased food resources in at least four bird species, including the downy woodpecker. While woodpeckers may have some...
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