286 Schultz and Sivyer: Orangestriped Oakworm Control Arboriculture & Urban Forestry 2006. 32(6):286–288. An Integrated Pest Management Success Story: Orangestriped Oakworm Control in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. Peter B. Schultz and David B. Sivyer Abstract. Pesticide applications directed against the orangestriped oakworm declined by over 80% the first year after implementation of an aesthetic injury threshold into an Integrated PestManagement program. After a moderate resurgence 2 years later, pesticide use further declined with no pesticides applied against this pest in the past 7 years. Cost and pesticide use decreased from $6,795 and 55,000 L (14,300 gal) in 1986 to $877 and 7,800 L (2,028 gal) in 1988 and no cost since 1999. Key Words. Aesthetic injury level; Anisota senatoria; Integrated Pest Management. This study reports the long term impact of a key component of the municipal shade tree Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.—the suppression of orangestriped oakworm, Anisota senatoria (J.E. Smith) (OSO). Initial objectives in 1986 were to determine whether a monitoring program coupled with establishing an aesthetic injury level could be used to suppress OSO with reduced pesticide input. The objective was to revisit this study site and evaluate the long-term results and impacts 20 years after implementation. The OSO is a native insect and an occasional pest of forest trees and urban plantings from eastern Canada to Georgia, westward to Minnesota, Kansas, and Texas (Felt 1905; Houser 1918; Becker 1938; Drooz 1985). Major outbreaks of this insect have occurred in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jer- sey, New York, Pennsylvania (Johnson and Lyon 1988), and Maryland (Smith and Raupp 1986). Adults appear from late June to early August and lay golden yellow clusters of 200 to 500 eggs on foliage of lower branches. Oaks (Quercus spp.) are preferred hosts, but birch (Betula spp.), hickory (Carya spp.), filbert (Corylus spp.), and maple (Acer spp.) are also attacked. Early instars are gregarious and skeletonize foliage, whereas later instars consume entire leaves leaving only the main vein. During September, larvae migrate from the trees and pupate in the soil. Approximately 10,000 oaks, primarily willow oak (Quer- cus phellos L.) and pin oak (Quercus palustris Muenchhau- sen), have been planted along municipal streets and in parks in Norfolk, Virginia, over the last 70 years. Management of trees planted on public property is the responsibility of the Bureau of Parks and Urban Forestry (BPUF), a division of the Norfolk Department of Recreation, Parks and Open Space. Severe defoliation of municipal trees by OSO was first noted ©2006 International Society of Arboriculture in 1981, and citizen complaints to BPUF and elected officials subsequently increased each year. Based in part on the eco- nomic value of urban oaks (Diamond et al. 1987), public outcry about the tree defoliation, and OSO frass on city side- walks, large amounts of pesticides were applied to infested trees in the 1980s. Pesticide applications for OSO control were focused in neighborhoods where citizen complaints originated. The policy for OSO control was to treat on mu- nicipal property at specific addresses where infested trees occurred in response to citizen requests. This policy was con- trolling OSO; however, it added significant pesticide load to the urban environment and was not cost-effective. Treating entire city blocks achieved better suppression but increased the pesticide volume. Pesticide use for OSO suppression in- creased for 6 consecutive years reaching a peak in 1986 when 55,172 L (14,345 gal) were applied (48% of all pesticides applied to municipal trees). METHODS A research study was initiated in 1987 to identify the impact of OSO defoliation, the pest with the greatest pesticide input, on both the urban street trees and on citizen tolerance for insect injury with the objective of reducing pesticide load and municipal costs without alienating citizens (Coffelt and Schultz 1990). Establishment of an aesthetic injury level (AIL) was conducted by university and BPUF staff present- ing photographs of trees with quantified defoliation to citi- zens residing in the infested Norfolk neighborhoods. Citizens were shown photographs of five defoliation levels (15%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) and were asked what level of damage they were willing to accept (0% was provided ver- bally as a choice). In addition, the effect of different levels of defoliation on tree vigor was measured by measuring root
November 2006
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