Taylor Scarr sends his deep regrets that he will be unable to give the talk planned for next Sunday July 10th, as a result of his new position with the federal government as Director of Integrated Pest Management for the Canadian Forest Service. This is an extraordinary opportunity for both Taylor and our forests from coast to coast. Unfortunately he had insufficient time to find a replacement or request permission from the CFS.
On a positive note, Taylor reported that the absence of IPS infestations this spring appears to be province-wide, which suggests this may be weather related, such as cold snaps alongside minimal snow cover this winter, and perhaps increase in predators such as wasps and parasites. He also suggests that many of the unopened pupa cases had been successfully parasitized. Still, he suggests that we remain vigilant and report any signs of the larvae this summer or fall and gave me new contact information. Taylor also reiterated his support for the application of TreeAzin to protect “special” pines, essentially as an insurance policy.
However, he strongly advised frequent watering – that would soak into the pine roots, especially those with minimal topsoil. This spring brought severe drought conditions to our islands not previously encountered since 1960 – which was further aggravated by a very light snow cover last winter. Hence, watering is essential for maintaining optimum health of your pines, especially for those previously stressed.
At this point, I want to take the opportunity to thank Taylor Scarr – both personally and behalf of PaBIA — for his analysis and advice over the past 9 months on managing the introduced pine sawfly infestation. We wish him the very best in the years ahead and hope he will keep in touch.