As temperatures fall, insects and small mammals start looking for cozy places to overwinter. This can include your home and landscape. Rock gardens, trees, firewood piles, and an overgrown landscape can provide a haven for pests. Insects that overwinter can spread like wildfire come spring. Here are 8 winter pests that we look out for in our plant nursery in Rockland County and Orange County, NY, areas. Most of these species are invasive, can survive year-round, and damage the ecosystem, which makes them particularly important to eliminate.
1. Asian Longhorned Beetle: these insects damage hardwood trees.
2. Kharpa Beetle: This beetle lives in grain products and seeds, and likes to hide out in cracks and crevices. If you have horses, keep an eye out for these pests in your grain storage.
3. European Gypsy Moth: these pests were imported (by accident) in the 1960s and since then, have threatened more than species of native trees. This highly dangerous pest is a critical threat to the ecosystem.
4. Spotted Lanternfly: this insect threatens orchards, trees, and grapes. They are often found in firewood piles and other yard debris.
5. Asian Gypsy Moth: this insect is similar to the European Gypsy Moth in that it is a voracious eater and threatens hundreds of tree species. It has not been spotted in the area, but the USDA is on the lookout.
6. Light Brown Apple Moth: these moths prefer vegetables, chrysanthemums, roses, poplar trees and other ornamental plants. Mainly found in California and Hawaii, these insects can nevertheless survive the New York State winter.
7. Emerald Ash Borer Beetle: this insect has destroyed millions of ash trees. They are often found in wood packaging materials and are now prolific in the USA.
8. Pine Beetle: this insect (both the Southern and Mountain varieties) has decimated pine forests in the west, and can easily spread to the east. Surprisingly, the southern pine beetle is more destructive in cold climates than warm.
What can you do to stop the spread of these pests?
1. Do not harvest and transport firewood - this is the most common way to transport invasive species that attack trees. If you burn firewood, buy it from a reputable dealer who will check the wood for pests; or, stack the firewood, spray the stack with a pesticide containing permethrin or carbaryl, and cover it tightly with a plastic wrap for several years to kill any insects residing in the wood.
2. Wrap trees with tree wraps, to provide a natural barrier against pests crawling their way up from the ground. Wraps also prevent sunscald, which can cause tree trunks to split, inviting pests to enter.
3. Fumigants containing ethylene dichloride and paradichlorobenzene are effective against borers. Permethrin or carbaryl are effective against beetles.
4. Create a physical barrier around trees using lawn edging, to prevent damage from snow shovels, lawnmowers or weed whackers. Any wound is an open invitation to pests.
5. Keep your trees watered. If rain is scarce, water trees for a few hours once a week during the summer and fall, giving the tree at least 1-2” of water at a time. A healthy tree is much better able to withstand invasion from pests.
6. Be careful with lawn mowers, weed whips, snow shovels and other equipment. Wounds increase the risk that trees will become infected by disease.
7. Avoid compacting soil around trees, which will impact the ability of the roots to absorb nutrients.
8. Carefully scrape any egg masses into a bucket of soapy water to kill the eggs.
Related: WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN OUR PLANT NURSERY IN THE LATE FALL IN HUDSON VALLEY AND SULLIVAN COUNTY NY
