Tick Trouble

Progressive Peril While Lyme disease is predicted to be as perilous as ever this summer, with the CDC estimating 300,000 new cases to present, there is a new tick-borne illness endangering those of us who spend time outdoors. Borrelia miyamotoi is a bacteria carried by an estimated 10 percent of ticks, mostly in the Northwestern region of…

Details
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Aquifer Avocation

Charged about Recharge Groundwater is water that is pumped up from storage units called aquifers below the Earth’s surface. It is typically used for agricultural irrigation and drinking water. Unfortunately groundwater is being used faster than it can be replaced and recharge is a lengthy process. Groundwater recharge occurs when precipitation infiltrates through the surface…

Details
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Fungi Fascination

Fun Fungus Facts The kingdom Fungi comprises some of the most important organisms, environmentally and ecologically. They are responsible for decomposition of dead organic material and most vascular plants rely on symbiotic relationships with fungi for their survival and success. And while many fungal species cause disease in both plants and animals, others are used…

Details
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Parasite-free Populations

New Found in Newfoundland Scientists have discovered honeybee colonies in Newfoundland, Canada, which are free from the parasites affecting hives in the U.S.,  affording a unique research opportunity. Fungal parasites such as Nosema ceranae and viral vectors like the mite, Varroa destructor are ravaging honeybee populations throughout the U.S. and around the world making research into their…

Details
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Turf Talk

Weevils and White Grubs …oh my! In the northern parts of the region Annual Bluegrass Weevils are just reaching their larval stage while the southern areas should have already incurred the worst of the primary generation. The damage should not have been too severe as the first stage occurred during the earlier part of June…

Details
SavATree - Tree Service & Lawn Care

Cricket Convergence

Anabrus simplex The Mormon cricket, Anabrus simplex,  is a large insect, growing up to 8 cm in length and so-called due to the near destruction of Utah settlers’ crops in 1848. These insects are not true crickets but belong to the shieldbacked katydid family, Tettigoniidae. They live throughout the American northwest, beginning in southern Canada and ranging south…

Details

Insects About

Current Conditions The last couple of weeks in June were dry across the region, receiving only a fraction (0.05 inches) of the average expected rainfall for the month. Daytime high temperatures have been seasonal, night time lows are consistently below average. While the warm, dry weather is pleasant, lack of rainfall with increasing temperatures will cause…

Details