UMass Extension Landscape Message April 4, 2014

"Southeast Region (Hanson):

General Conditions: Well, March came in like a lion and went out like a lion. March was cold with the majority of nighttime temperatures below freezing. The last weekend of March saw rain and fog (and a bit of snow) with high gusts of wind, especially along the coast with gusts of over 50 mph. Hanson received 3.96 inches of rain over the past week, most of it from storms over the last weekend. Flood warnings were issued for many towns."

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"Winter Moth: Now that we are experiencing warmer temperatures, the over-wintering eggs of this pest are getting closer to hatching time. If eggs can be located on the trunks of host plants they can be visually monitored to estimate hatching time. These orange-colored eggs turn a deeper red and then a deep shiny blue color just prior to hatching. Well-timed oil sprays mixed with a compatible insecticide can be an effective management strategy, especially if applied just prior to the eggs hatching. Once the tiny caterpillars have wriggled into the buds to feed, control measures are futile until the buds open and the caterpillars are once again exposed. At that time, the caterpillars can be easily managed with many different insecticides that are proven to be effective against numerous other caterpillar species. However, when winter moth occurs in large numbers, it can cause very serious feeding damage to both foliar and flower buds to the point where the buds are killed."

Claire