Hi All--- Its me again (back after some years :). I appear to have acquired a very interesting problem. I have 3 of what I believe to be Himalayan Birch trees, which I planted myself and have had on the side of my house for about 10 years now. This year however, there is something new- apparently, a plague! I first started noticing what looked like little bits of black sand all over the driveway, and starting to cover the car when parked there. Next, dropped leaves scattered everywhere which look almost entirely eaten like swiss cheese. For some reason I just didn't think much of it, but its been going on for weeks. To my astonishment I looked up today and saw more than half the trees are eaten- all 3 in a row down the side of the house. There appear to be large bugs hovering around amongst them, but they are too high up to see what they are. I took some pictures today if anyone is interested, surely these trees can't simply die after 10 years simply from being eaten alive by bugs?? I've never seen anything like it before. ? ? ? ? ? ? ?!
Are you seeing any tents or webs in the trees or in trees close to them? Do you see any crawlies? The damage looks exactly what is left after tent caterpillars have been through a tree canopy. And yeah, otherwise healthy trees can be killed after being eaten alive by bugs.
I have seen those tents in past years, but there isn't one of them anywhere on ANY tree this year. There are however, these 1/2 inch bugs everywhere up in them. They sort of hover all around the trees, they are greenish with thick black legs. I managed to catch one in a plastic bag and got some pictures......it was difficult they thrash and buzz like crazy when caught: The whole side of the house looks like swiss cheese, at least the top halves. Maybe they are working their way down. They look as if all they are interested in is killing the birch trees, or at least eating them alive.
They look gold with a green head. Is this the infamous Japanese Beetle people have been talking about? If so I have never seen one before. It looks like this is exactly what they are!!!~~~ I found a picture of a Japanese Beetle on the internet. The one I caught looks identical it even has the little black bobs on the antennae and the black stripes. Pearl Harbor was nothing compared to this.........I'm being bombed!!! :(
Well I'm going to try one thing first- I found a website tonight discussing Japanese beetles and they suggested making a trap using a plastic milk jug, filling it with 1/2 cup water, some yeast, sugar and a half a mashed banana. They said if you hang that up in the tree, it works as an excellent Japanese beetle trap. The beetles crawl in attracted by the fermentation smell and then can't get out. Will give this a shot, nothing to lose! (except well, you know....)
We have the same nasty buggers up here in Canada. Toronto to be exact. First time I have seen them and they sure do a number on the birch trees and many others as well. They love plumb trees too.
An update on this. The buggers ate the trees entirely, top to bottom and then flew off. Meanwhile I put one Japanese Beetle trap nearby and it filled to the brim, about 2 lbs full of them. They all died except for a squirming layer on top, and the stench was terrible. Seemed to not even put a dent in the swarm. Yet after the trees were stripped bare, they were all gone. What surprised me was about 4 weeks later, the trees grew back all their leaves(!!) Lean year for the Birch trees I'm sure, but they seem to have had an ace up their sleeve. Odd experience.
Well, Its 2012 spring and all 3 Birch trees are now dead. One died last year, and the other two never leafed this year, and are scheduled to be cut down :( Really do need shade in the area, and the birch trees are a good fit due to their tall narrow growing habit. My question for the group is- I have an opportunity to replace these with Whitespire birch. Just wondering if I plant these, if they will die also? Are they any more resistant than the Himalayan birch. Thanks for any comments. I am worried about something in the roots that would spread to the new plantings, birch borer or the like but have not seen any of these insects, or holes in the trees. Although clearly the Japanese beetles had something to do with their downfall.......
