Emerging Pests

Backyard gardeners are important scouts for early recognition of threats to the health of our landscapes and the environment. The emerging threat may be a new plant disease, a weed, an insect, or even an exotic animal. These organisms endanger various edible and ornamental crops and have the potential to cause economic problems as well as environmental problems. The links provided here pertain to emerging or potential pest problems in New England. Some of the problems have been documented in our area while others have not spread to Rhode Island. In the case of problems that have not yet arrived, early detection is critical. Visit the sites listed below to learn about the emergence and progress of these problems across the country. You'll find a great deal of useful information and links to other interesting sites. NOTE: If you find evidence in your landscape of a pest that has not been documented in Rhode Island, please notify the URI Master Gardener Coordinator via email: mastergardener@uri.edu

EMERGING PESTS / GENERAL SITES

Hazardous, Restricted, and Perishable Mail www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub52.pdf
Forestry Images www.forestryimages.org
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod/usdasodlist.html
Northeast Plant Diagnostic Network www.nepdn.org

For pest alerts and information on other emerging pests visit the project Massachusetts Introduced Pests Outreach Project website at http://www.massnrc.org/pests


Asian Longhorned Beetle

www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/albpestalert/
http://ceris.purdue.edu/napis/pests/alb/alb-wss_p1.html
www.uvm.edu/albeetle/research/index.html

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

The brown marmorated stink bug [Halyomorpha halys (Ståhl)],
is a new pest that is currently only in NY, PA, NJ, MA, and RI.
http://www.massnrc.org/pests

Daylily Rust

http://www.massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/pestalerts/daylilyrustalert_July20_2006.htm

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/eab/

Giant Hogweed

http://www.mass.gov/agr/pestalert/giant_hogweed.htm


Japanese Stilt Grass

www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/mivi1.htm


Mile a Minute Weed

www.invasivespecies.gov/profiles/milemin.shtml
www.hort.uconn.edu/cipwg/art_pubs/docs/mile_a_minute.pdf

Sirex Woodwasp

http://massnrc.org/pests/linkeddocuments/pestalerts/Sirexalert_August23_2006.htm


Sudden Oak Death (SOD)

Since 1995, oaks and tanoaks have been dying in the coastal counties of California.
Since then, more than 65 types of plants have been found to be infected or associated with
this disease, referred to as Sudden Oak Death (SOD), ramorum leaf blight or ramorum dieback,
or by regulation as Phytophthora ramorum.
http://cemarin.ucdavis.edu/index2.html
www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/ispm/sod/
www.defra.gov.uk/planth/phnews/ukandeu.pdf (Europe)


Swede Midge

http://massnrc.org/pests/pestFAQsheets/swedemidge.html


Viburnum Leaf Beetle

www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/defoliators/viburnum_leaf_beetle.html


Winter Moth

www.umassgreeninfo.org/fact_sheets/defoliators/winter_moth.pdf