Trees in the News
- To: s*@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
- Subject: Trees in the News
- From: "* D* C* <m*@PIPELINE.COM>
- Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 22:44:03 -0400
As long as we're talking about trees, has anybody heard about the pest
supposed to be invading maples? My husband told me about it today, but
can't remember when or where he heard of it. I am hoping that it's just a
hoax.
The story goes that there is an insect, possibly a beetle, that lays its
eggs on the bark of a maple tree (I don't know if it is said to prefer any
particular species). The eggs hatch and larvae burrow into the trunk,
leaving holes that expose the tree to disease and otherwise weaken it,
eventually killing it. What I thought was strange was that supposedly trees
were being deliberately destroyed by the acre around New York and other
northeastern US areas, because destroying the infected tree kills the
larvae, which feed from it only when it is living...this is strange because
I would have expected to hear about it on one of my lists if such wholesale
action was being taken. The insect is from China, and arrived here in a
packing crate, according to the story. So, is any of this true, and if so,
what other information does anyone have?
Sheila Smith
mikecook@pipeline.com
Niles, MI USA, Z 5/6
