As part of a grant with NY Farm Viability Institute, I am putting insect models based on Growing Degree Days (GDD) into NEWA.  As part of a trial, I am working with growers to see if using GDD helps provide better control with fewer pesticides used.

Today’s message:

No accumulated growing degree days yet in NYS, which is why you are all getting the same message!

Riverhead is getting close to its first one!  Remember, the average temperature needs to be over 50F and the accumulation started March 1.

Here are a few things you can do or get ready:

1. Get your traps ready
   1. Tedder’s trap for white pine weevil https://ento.psu.edu/extension/christmas-trees/information/whitepinewvtraps.pdf
   2. Doug fir needle midge trap https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/ec1373.pdf
   3. Yellow sticky cards for
2. Remove or treat stumps and remove cull piles and dying trees before adults emerge (starting about 7 GDD) for Pales weevil and Eastern pine weevil management
3. Scout – starting with trees that were affected last year
   1. Spruce and rust mites
   2. Cooley spruce gall adelgid nymphs on Douglas fir and spruce
   3. Swiss and Rhabdocline fruiting bodies on Douglas fir needles
   4. Rhizosphaera and spruce needle rust on spruce.

Have a great week!