Landscape Message: Apr 1, 2016

• Winter Moth: (Continued monitoring) Operophtera brumata
  eggs are hatching as you are reading this message! We are about 3 weeks
  ahead of schedule for this insect, according to Dr. Elkinton. He
  expects winter moth eggs to be hatching in most areas by the end of this
  week in Massachusetts. Eggs have turned blue and hatched in Rhode
  Island, as reported by Heather Faubert of URI Cooperative Extension.
  Scouts have reported eggs turning blue and hatching in Franklin, MA
  while others are still seeing orange eggs in Mattapoisett, MA and eggs
  are just turning blue in Hanson, MA. Dr. Elkinton reports that areas
  such as Boston and West Bridgewater have enough accumulated degree days
  for winter moth egg hatch to have begun this week. If using an average
  degree day calculation method, with a base of 50° F, winter moth eggs
  hatch between 20-50 GDD’s. View the Environmental Data section of this
  message for degree day information for your area. As mentioned inlast week’s Landscape Message,
  blueberry growers and others protecting fruit crops should make planned
  insecticide applications for these caterpillars as soon as possible, to
  prevent them from feeding within the buds they are trying to protect.
  For ornamental trees and shrubs, applications of insecticides with
  active ingredients such as spinosad can be made as leaves open up
  (however this will not prevent the feeding the youngest caterpillars
  will do while inside the buds).

Report by Tawny Simisky, Extension Entomologist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery, & Urban Forestry Program