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propel a series of 10 racquetballs swathed in Velcro into the crown of a
hemlock, targeting different aspects and different heights to catch egg
sacs (tests in New York state showed that 10 balls detected even the
smallest population).
These days Kimoto is also keeping an eye out for red-necked longhorn
beetle, another Asian pal of the villainousALHB. Intercepted in both the UK
and Seattle, it has established in a cherry tree in Germany and two orchards
in Italy where it’s killing off plum and peach. Gaining foothold here would
be oh-so-bad for the fruit-growing areas like the Niagara Peninsula.
Kimoto wrapped our talk about nonnative insect threats with a hopeful
screed on various research initiatives and international collaborations, like
using Slovakia as the model for jewel beetle detection in central Europe,
or new Chinese research that involved electrodes inserted in beetle
antennae to register which chemicals were attractive or repellent. “Maybe
in 10 years or so we’ll have the tools to detect jewel beetles,” he adds.
That drove home an important point: while the ever-inventive
Homo
sapiens
that once crossed the Bering Strait to occupy this continent excels
in applying post-hoc solutions like Velcro-covered racquetballs to its self-
inflicted biological problems, invasive insects have forced us to play the
longer game—historically our worst skill.
Read up on Ontario’s Invading Species Awareness Program here:
TOP
Wooly adelgid infestationon a hemlock branch.
BOTTOM
Wooly adelgidmature eggs.
WIKIMEDIACOMMONS.
IT’S YOUR TURN.
Turnover anew snowflake, sunshine.
Comeand turnup the fun, turndown thehypeand start turningaroundonour
mountain. This isgrand central for fresh turns, for fast turns, andabrilliant
place todiscover thosefirst turns. This iswheredreams turn intomemories.
Wheremouth cornersare turnedup, andnormal is turnedupsidedown.
Mountainsmake things turnout beautifully.
All youneed todo, is turnup.
