Save Your Ash Campaign Launches in Charlotte
Over the next few weeks, you might see signs like this in various locations throughout Charlotte. They're part of the "Save Your Ash" campaign, made possible through a grant from the North Carolina Forest Service. The City is actively treating several ash trees to protect them from the emerald ash borer, a metallic green beetle that bores into ash trees and eats the tissues beneath the bark. While cankerworms weaken trees, making them vulnerable to other pests and disease, emerald ash borers kill ash trees. This non-native insect was first discovered in the United States in 2002 near Detroit, and it has spread to at least 30 states, including North Carolina. It was first found in Charlotte in May of 2017.
The signs are located next to 15 ash trees currently being treated for the emerald ash borer.
Learn more about how to SAVE YOUR ASH!
What Happened to the Cankerworms?
Have you noticed a significant decrease in the number of cankerworms this year? You aren't the only one. Assistant City Arborist Laurie Reid explains a possible reason why our hair and clothes are blissfully cankerworm-free this spring.
"The cankerworm population, both this year and last year, have been very different from previous years. The caterpillars were late to emerge and their numbers have been low," Reid said. "While it is difficult to determine the exact reason, weather over the past two years might have disrupted their life cycle. The late frost in early 2017 affected the caterpillars by possibly killing leaves on trees, upon which the newly emerged caterpillars were feeding. With less food available, fewer caterpillars survived to pupate to a moth, which left fewer moths to emerge this past winter. Fewer emerging moths means a lower-than-usual number of eggs that could be laid, and, thus, a lower number of caterpillars this spring."
Cankerworms threaten trees, especially aging willow oaks that line the streets, yards and green space in Charlotte's established neighborhoods. As we enjoy a break from cankerworms this year, let's remember to continue banding our trees this fall to help control their numbers.
Let's keep banding together, Charlotte!
Learn more about protecting your trees from the cankerworm at http://CharlotteNC.gov/Cankerworm
