Invasive species on the way to QCs – what should you do?
Warm weather is only weeks away, but it’s time to think about protecting your plants from invasive species. They may not be alien invaders, but they can still cause plenty of problems.
“When you’re talking about invasive in general, it’s something that isn’t naturally or native to our area,” said Robert Spartz, district manager with the Davey Tree Expert Company in Eldridge. Invasive species can include plants, animals and insects.
Why are these so troublesome? Spartz says they’re dangerous to trees and shrubs. “That’s going to result in excess damage to our trees and shrubs as well. It’s (invasive species) doing a lot of damage and could potentially kill plants.”
Damage isn’t the only problem these species cause, said Spartz; they can overpower native plants. “We get a lot of over competition with invasive tree species, like tree of heaven, which is a very fast-growing invasive tree species in our area. It will crowd out some of the trees that we would prefer that grow here.”
Invasive species appear in one part of the country and spread to others by climbing into shipping crates or onto vehicles and trailers. A new invasive insect is making its way through Illinois. “Over the next one to two years, something that potentially could become a major threat to some of the trees out here is the Spotted Lantern Fly.” The insect has been detected in Illinois but is closer to the Chicago area at present. Spartz doesn’t expect that to last. “We still have some miles between us but they are hitchhikers, so they can jump on trailers or shipping grades or things like that and potentially make it out here sooner than we would prefer.”
Spotted Lantern Flies are moth-type of insects that don’t travel far on their own but know how to hitch a ride. Spartz says their favorite food is another invasive species. “Its primary food source is tree is the tree of heaven, which is an invasive tree. After it runs out of its primary food, source now we’re looking at maples we’re looking at fruit trees we’re looking at grapevines.”
The insects suck the sap out of trees, doing a significant amount of damage, but Spartz says an infestation isn’t a hopeless situation. “There are treatment options available; we need to be vigilant on it and once we start seeing it, we know that it’s going to be a pretty big problem for us.”
Emerald Ash Borers have gotten plenty of attention in the past, but Spartz believes they’re on their way out. “It’s actually almost on the end of its cycle here in the Quad Cities. Most of the trees that are not being currently treated are probably dead at this point. Emerald Ash Borer is still a problem, we’re on the back end of the number of trees available for them to feed on.” Unlike the Spotten Lantern Fly, Emerald Ash Borers feed exclusively on ash trees, so when the food source is gone, the population will decrease.
How can people slow the spread of these invaders? “I know that it’s a common adage, ‘don’t move firewood.’ Insects like Emerald Ash Borers and other insects lay their eggs on the wood itself. Just check things like firewood, inspect cars and trailers going from an infested area to an area that has not been contaminated yet.”
The big insect news in 2024 is the cicada will be even more of a nuisance this time. “We actually hitting a double breed or brood as they call it,” he said. “This year the 13 year and 17 year cycles both line up in the same season so there is going to be a lot more cicada activity than we’ve ever seen before.”
Cicadas are noisy and seem to be everywhere, but that’s not the only trouble they cause, said Spartz. “They also do significant damage to trees as well. They lay their eggs underneath the branches or underneath the bark of trees.” Cicadas like maple trees so they lay eggs under the bark. Younger maple trees are especially hard hit because they have a smoother bark, making it easier for cicadas to cause damage.
What are some of the signs of damage? “You’re going to look for isolated branch dieback,” he said. “We really shouldn’t see tree death but it will stress trees out and that can invite other insects and vectors into the tree that might not normally attack them.” Tree owners can install netting to keep insects away.
If you think you have an invasive species in your yard, ignoring it won’t make it go away. “Your best thing is to take pictures if you can so that we can potentially positively identify it. If you can capture it as well, it’s always a good thing to submit a sample.” Residents can contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Illinois DNR or the Department of Agriculture to find out how to submit photos or samples. The Iowa and Illinois Extension offices can help identify samples. Click here for information from the International Society of Arborculture.
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