White oak: First 2 of 17

Succumbed to gypsy moth defoliation.
1.)


2.)



15 more to go.
It was a bit cooler today. 76 degrees instead of 90.

Sure beats trying to pull maple outta the swamp. Hate to lose oaks that are in the front yard that are a hundred years old.


This will be for 2020/2021, if it is ready and I don't get a bunch of red maple ready first.

 

Bummer Bill, those buggers are munching away here as well. Cut down about 10 when we first moved in here about 10 years ago.

 

Good for you, bad for the tree(s). Mother Nature sure is fickle.

I suspect given the number of caterpillars I'm seeing around here, and that it's coming off two years of drought and increased caterpillars, that there'll be trees the don't make it. Good for hoarders, bad for the trees

 

I've only lost about half of the white oaks here, mostly all the older, larger ones. If I drive a mile or so south every single white oak along the street and in as far as you can see is dead. The ones I have left don't look so good though. Can see lots of blue sky through them. I'm hoping this wet year and a lower caterpillar count will give them a chance to regain some strength. Maybe even have a crop of nuts. We haven't had acorns on trees here now for 4 years.
I'm losing big pines to beetles grubs so the forest I'm used to are a bit thin. At least there are still some leaves on the trees this year. Last year and the year before there was nothing. The gypsy moths were eating everything. Never saw caterpillars eat pine needles before the last two years.

 

I'm heading to Hyannis this weekend, for a week. I'll be interested in seeing how things look down the Cape.

 

Sad to hear about losing old trees. But at least they are going to a good home.

 

They're cut one inch or so off the ground, they just weren't pushed over as they were far too heavy to do by hand. They can't fall over on anyone.
The two trees were pieced down with a long boom bucket truck. WE had the dead branches removed from 7 other red and white oaks at the same time. 2 had widowmakers from past storms that have been hanging precariously for too long. If I had the money they could have stayed for a week pruning dead wood and cutting down dead trees. We cleaned up all the trees around the house. The rest I'll do as I have time and weather. They're not going anywhere.

 

17 White oak = :stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke::stacke:fire

 

Sad to hear about the tree loss. They are devastating insects.

I recall many years ago during the last gypsy moth invasion every one was putting the sticky bands of goop or tin foil around their trees to stop the caterpillars from climbing to the leaves. Anyone do that in your area?

 

Oh yeah. Many trees are banded and smeared with petroleum jelly. Results are questionable, as the critters lower themselves on thin threads which carries them between trees. Some white pines are now looking pretty thin.

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I did it. I used tanglefoot not petroleum jelly though. It kept those that fell or rapelled out of the tree from climbing back up. I think Winter moths are the ones that leave their egg masses at the base of trees near the ground. I know gypsy moths leave their egg masses all the way to the tippitty tops. I've found them on trees I cut down. Maybe gypsy moths used to leave their egg smears at the bases of trees, they sure don't when the populations are high. The males find the females squeezing out eggs wherever they are. Tent caterpillars are back this year after a hiatus of several years. They tend to go after black cherry and apple trees. We've had them pretty bad in the past too.

Weird thing about the bands is they really show just how many different kinds of bugs climb up and down trees. Tanglefoot will trap some of them. caterpillars pretty much won't step on the stuff. Effective road block though.

 

unfortunately, need smaller smilies if they are hollow
these two were yard or specimen trees. They pretty much grew out in the open and got huge rather than tall. The rest fought their way to the canopy and may be younger trees .

 

Tree has a big chain and a big cable in it. Was about 15-18 feet up so to lift engines ? Probably a few nails as well. I remember a bird feeder or two nailed to it many moons ago.

 

Blue wood is never a good thing.

 

Had the yellow aeroplane flying above recently dispersing some form of treatment for the moths. The guys who pilot those planes look to be having a lot of fun.