Elm Beetle Traps

[OTGBOSTON]

One of the cool things about my job is that I am exposed to all different types of arborists/tree work. One of our park advocate groups (with a multi-million dollar endowment) hires a consultant to help manage our Elm tree population, and spends big bucks on pruning, fert, injections, etc...We are transitioning from an old school arb consultant to a guy with a more modern approach, which leads me to this thread.

In an attempt to modernize our IPM techniques we want to try to get a handle on our Elm Beetle population, so we came up with these traps. There will be a sticky/pheromone trap mounted in this box, each box being mounted to a tree. We are scheduled to install the traps next tuesday.

Anyone else ever attempt this? I'll update if we get any results.

 

[Burnham]

I have not been involved with it myself, but the feds and the state both do population monitoring and control effort design planning with that sort of trap. Several different species over the years.

 

[MasterBlaster]

That's an odd gig. Cool.

 

[squisher]

You mean for elm beetle specifically?

Pheromone traps are used around here quite a bit for the bark beetles.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

+1 Squish. Ag department hands them out.

 

[OTGBOSTON]

You mean for elm beetle specifically?

Yes. We have some elms over 200 years old.

 

[PCTREE]

Completely different but along the same lines, my machinist has been talking about coming up with a stink bug trap, huge infestation of them here in VA..... Could even feed them to the chickens.....

 

[squisher]

Ok, so school me up on the details on it of how it would be different from the beetle traps that are used around here for Pine beetle? I can't honestly make out to much in your pic?

I understand(a bit) from having read on The Treehouse over the years now the problem you have with DED.

 

[squisher]

Up and over here they use traps to try and contain and to monitor. I have done quite a few removals in the local cemetery were they have traps set-up as well as pheromone packs placed on individual trees and wrapping trees to physically keep out the beetles. We've lost many, many large heritage type pines around here now. Huge trees for this area. All for bark beetles though.

Is the point of your boxes to monitor or to eliminate infestation by attracting them into the box I'm presuming?

 

[OTGBOSTON]

The traps are for monitoring purposes only. They must be placed 150' away from any elm tree, which is difficult in our parks. We installed the boxes yesterday although my signs weren't ready yet so I typed somehing up real quick, I'll go back later this week with the laminated/artworked version. Notice the yellow flag in the horizontal pic? Thats Cheers!

 

[OTGBOSTON]

More from today. The press showed up to interview me, so I decided to put him on camera..

 

[squisher]

Cool!


Cheers really? That was my favorite show when I was a kid! That would be so cool to sit at that bar. Norm!!!!

 

[OTGBOSTON]

lol...The bar actually looks nothing like it does on TV. Sure is popular with the tourists though!

 

[squisher]

Ahhh really? That would kinda ruin it for me, but heh I'd still have a beer or six in there. Although I would do that in most pubs anyways, I'm not all that picky.