If you’ve felt the familiar itch of browntail moth rash, seen the grayish-green needles of an infested hemlock or watched as woodpeckers bore into ash trees for a meal hidden beneath the surface, you’ve experienced the devastating effects of non-native pests. Browntail moth, hemlock wooly adelgid and emerald ash borer are only three of the […]
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Philip Fanning, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Entomology School of Biology and Ecology How I got here: I grew up on a small dairy farm in Tipperary, Ireland. Living on a farm is what I credit for my interest in becoming a scientist. I completed my Bachelor of Environmental Science degree at University College […]
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The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station has published MP764: Field Manual for Managing Eastern White Pine Health in New England. Authors William H. Livingston, UMaine Isabel Munck, USDA Forest Service Kyle Lombard, NH Division of Forests & Lands Jennifer Weimer, NH Division of Forests & Lands Aaron Bergdahl, Maine Forest Service Laura S. Kenefic, […]
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The Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station has published MR448: Bees and Their Habitats in Four New England States. Authors Alison C. Dibble, UMaine Francis A. Drummond, UMaine Anne L. Averill, University of Massachusetts Kalyn Bickerman-Martens, UMaine Sidney C. Bosworth, The University of Vermont Extension Sara L. Bushman, UMaine Aaron K. Hoshide, UMaine Megan E. […]
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Profitable production of potato, which continues to be the most important agricultural commodity in the state of Maine, is impossible without successful control of its insect pests. Insecticides do not provide a long-term solution because of the rapid evolution of resistance in the targeted populations. Furthermore, they are largely ineffective in preventing the spread of […]
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Invasive plant and animal species have been responsible for considerable problems in both natural and managed landscapes, with resulting damage, losses, and efforts to manage them estimated to cost the U.S. economy over $120 billion per year. Management of invasive species, particularly invasive insects, requires immediate, innovative, cost-effective strategies that are compatible with maintenance of […]
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The highest priority for study at this time involves the impending introduction of the Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). Due to limited resources, management activities often need to be deployed differentially to reduce EAB-induced impacts in high-value areas and unique ecosystems. Basket-quality black ash stands are an example of an under-studied, unique ecosystem with high-value […]
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Invasive plants and animals currently make up more than 30% of Maine’s flora and an unknown, but increasingly growing percentage of Maine’s fauna. While these species are most apparent along roadsides and in many natural areas, they also are abundant in agricultural fields. Two such species have recently found their way into the Maine blueberry […]
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The spotted wing drosophila (SWD) has created an emergency approach to insect pest control that is reactive and not necessarily a least-toxic strategy. This research should result in a better monitoring procedure for the adult flies, an action threshold, and better knowledge of SWD trivial movement within and between blueberry fields and least toxic strategies […]
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