Items
of Interest:
Walnut Tree Quarantine in Jefferson County Due to Thousand Cankers Disease (Dec 10, 2012)
Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced the discovery of a walnut tree killing disease, Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), in Jefferson County. The county is now under quarantine. Hamblen County is now considered a buffer regulated county because it is adjacent to a quarantined county. Rhea
County is also being placed in the buffer regulated
category because Walnut Twig Beetles have been
caught in the county but no TCD fungus has
been found. TDA officials urge area residents
and visitors to help prevent the spread of
TCD. Watch for signs of infestation in your
black walnut trees. If you suspect your black
walnut tree could be infested with TCD, visit
TDA's online
symptoms checklist and report form or call TDA's Regulatory Services Division at 1-800-628-2631.
Emerald Ash Borer Found in Middle Tennessee for the First Time (Sep 20, 2012)
Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that destroys ash trees, has recently been found in Smith and Jefferson counties. Smith is the first county in Middle Tennessee where EAB has been found. While Jefferson County is adjacent to previously quarantined areas where EAB has been confirmed, the find in Smith County was of particular concern because of the distance the insect was found from the already quarantined areas in East Tennessee. The location in Smith County where four EAB were caught is at Cordell Hull Lake in the Elmwood/Granville area. For more information about EAB and other destructive forest pests in Tennessee, visit the new website: www.protecttnforests.org.
Camphor Shot Borer: A New Nursery and Landscape Pest in Tennessee (PDF | 5.71 MB) (Aug 2012)
University of Tennessee Extension.
The camphor shot borer (Cnestus mutilatus) was first detected in the United States in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi in 1999. It is now known to occur in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. In Tennessee, the CSB was first detected on April 25, 2008 near a lumber facility in Wayne County. As of 2012, CSB has been trapped in 18 Tennessee counties and probably occurs in other Tennessee counties.
State of Tennessee Extends Public Caves Closure into Fourth Year to Protect Bats (Jun 11, 2012)
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Caves located on state lands in Tennessee will remain closed in an effort to slow the spread of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) among the state’s bat population. During the upcoming year, state and federal agencies and non-governmental organizations will continue to monitor bats for signs of WNS. Biologists will also continue to work with researchers to better understand WNS and determine the best ways to mitigate the effects of WNS on Tennessee’s bats. Tennessee’s WNS positive counties include Blount, Carter, Cumberland, Franklin, Hamilton, Hancock, Hawkins, Montgomery, Stewart, Sullivan, and Van Buren. These counties all have at least one cave that has tested positive for WNS.
Partially Africanized Bees Found in East Tennessee (Apr 9, 2012)
Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
Tennessee's first case of partially Africanized bees was confirmed through genetic testing last week in a colony belonging to a beekeeper in Monroe County. The colony has been depopulated and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture is working with beekeepers in the area to determine if other bees could have been affected.
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