2020 UDAF Insect Report
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Japanese Beetle Apiary Program Invasive Borers & much more! Eradica�on is State and county Trapping programs underway and early governments protect managed success is demon- con�nue efforts to and natural forests strated in Salt Lake protect honey bee from exo�c wood County. health. boring beetles. 2Insect 0 pg 12 pg 4 pg 26 20Report Utah Department of Agriculture & Food Division of Plant Industry February 2021 Migratory grasshopper Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius) At a Glance Accomplishments Program Partners Insect Traps Placed & 5,000 4,538 Target Pests Detected 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,968 1,000 750 500 250 140 105 100 77 75 72 68 68 50 50 24 25 20 1 0 0 0 0 Japanese EuropeAn EuropeAn Exotic EmeralD AsiAn OrCharD VelVet LonG- BeEtLe GypSy MotH CorN Borer WoOd BorerS AsH Borer DefoliAtorS PesTs horNed BeEtLe cost 2 Manager’s Message share honey aggreements 1,092 bee 2 News & Notes Featur article issued 8 Orchard Sentinel Survey colonies inspected Division Management The Utah Apiary Program Robert L. Hougaard 80 European Gypsy Moth diseases 10 State and county governments work together to protect Utah’s honey bees. Contributors fo & pests 11 European Corn Borer 4 to control rangeland pests Kristopher Watson Joey Caputo 22 Entomology Lab Utah Says No to Japanese Beetle Stephen C. Stanko Utahns unite to eliminate the invasive Sarah Schulthies 25 Grasshopper & Mormon Cricket 12 agricultural pest from the state. 30 Insect Program Staff Photo Design and Illustrations Joey Caputo Invasive Borers acres of to eradicate 31 Contacts & Web Resources Trapping efforts provide defense 2020 Insect Report is published annually japanese beetle against invasive wood boring beetles. by the Utah Department of Agriculture 176 turf treated and Food (UDAF) Plant Industry Division. 32 Citations & Image Credits 26 Edi�on 1.0 - February 2021 diseases and arthropods other than insects. State and County Cooperative Apiary Message from Consequently, UDAF Plant Industry now Program MtMeet an Insectan Insect Traer! Trapper! has the ability to quarantine plant & In 2020, Grand County Bee Inspector Jerry the Manager News pathogens and critters such as nematodes, snails or arachnids. Shue and Davis County Bee Inspector Roman Frazier retired. Sadly, Weber The amendments also created a fund for County Bee Inspector Brock Lenox passed Sharon plant pest emergency needs, such as away in October. Each of these inspectors Gilbert The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has Notes eradication programs and endemic pest dedicated a decade or more of service to been addressing insect issues since pioneer agriculture began Regulations Update suppression. Previously, such activities the cooperative Apiary Program. UDAF over 160 years ago. Utah has shown great resilience over the Ash Quarantine Proposed did not have dedicated funding, which Plant Industry offers many thanks to these years and last year was no exception. Through the pandemic, meant the department would need to individuals and condolences to Inspector earthquake, inland tornado and social unrest we continued to hastily find monies when emergencies Lenox’s family. UDAF is working to Sharon Gilbert has worked 12 seasons for persevere. UDAF pushed forward in helping Utah Agriculture materialized. In 2020, Japanese beetle recruit and train replacement inspectors in the UDAF Insect Program and serves as and protecting our natural resources. While this past year was eradication efforts (see page 12) were paid the counties with vacancies. the Lead Trapper. During winter months particularly difficult and the whole world slowed down, for by this newly created fund. invasive insects continued to make their way around the world Potentially Diseased Plants she is a ski instructor. Every spring, and into Utah. Personnel Changes Sharon comes back to the seasonal crew Intercepted with energy and enthusiasm. This is what In March of 2020, UDAF declared a Japanese beetle Insect UDAF Plant Industry Management Sharon has to say about being an Insect Infestation Emergency and early spring eradication efforts took Trapper. place in Salt Lake County. While we saw a significant Emerald ash borer on a host tree branch. Bracken Davis left UDAF for a Geograph- reduction of beetles from our eradication efforts, unfortunately ical Information Systems (GIS) position How did you become an Insect Trapper? with another government agency. Bracken we had new populations pop up in other counties along the Clint Burfitt [the former State Entomolo- The Utah Department of Agriculture and served as the Plant Industry Deputy Wasatch Front. Through all the challenges presented in 2020, gist] used to work at my ski resort and Food (UDAF) Insect Program will be Director and was a great friend to the UDAF set a new record of insect traps placed, as we deployed asked if I would be interested in applying. proposing an ash Fraxinus nursery stock UDAF Insect Program. The entomology additional traps around Japanese beetle detections. In the past He knew I had previously worked in the quarantine. The state is proposing the staff offer thanks for his help over the we have found populations of invasive pests, such as Japanese nursery and landscaping business and had quarantine as a result of the United States years and congratulations on his new job. beetle and gypsy moth, and eradicated their populations to Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal some knowledge about insects. prevent their establishment and associated negative impacts to Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) UDAF Insect Program our great state. Our previous eradication success gives us A geranium infected with Ralstonia What is the best part of the job? decision to deregulate emerald ash borer solanacearum race 3 biovar 2. confidence that with the same attentiveness, effort and support, Stephen Stanko accepted a molecular Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire). Working with the public and protecting the Utah will again eliminate these pests. biology job in the private sector after six environment. I enjoy the outreach that Utah and many other western states have years of service to the state. Stephen In April of 2020, the UDAF Insect comes with the job and telling people The importance of early detection and rapid response is critical managed to stay free of the pest since it was worked on the state Apiary Program (see Program assisted USDA-APHIS Plant about the work we do to protect our trees, to the success of future projects and the viability of agriculture. first detected in the United States in 2002. page 4) and provided essential support to Protection and Quarantine in intercepting gardens and orchards. It’s great to meet Invasive pests and diseases are moving around the world at an USDA-APHIS’s regulations prohibited the the Entomology Lab (see page 22). geranium Pelargonium shipments that the people who work in the orchards. alarming rate due to the growth of commerce and worldwide movement of ash nursery stock and During his tenure, he inspected thousands were potentially infected with Ralstonia They are passionate about their work and trade. These developments have created challenges and new firewood from areas of the country known of beehives, helped implement the state’s solanacearum race 3 biovar 2. This are always willing to take time to teach us. pathways of introduction. Agricultural pests have the potential to be infested with the pest to areas that Managed Pollinator Protection Plan, particular plant disease is not known to be There are a lot of nice people in our state. to impact our nation’s food crops much like a natural disaster, were uninfested. However, when federal incorporated infrared technology into the present in the United States and is a with annual losses estimated to be between 20-25% depending deregulation is complete, potentially Apiary Program, assembled the Entomolo- serious malady of geraniums and other What is the most interesting thing you on host and species. While many insects are beneficial and we infested nursery stock could legally be gy Lab’s molecular testing system and ornamental and vegetable plants. The have learned about insects? support pollinators, invasive pest infestations can be devastat- moved to Utah if the state does not enact its designed the lab being constructed at the potentially contaminated plants were sent ing to agriculture, as well as our environment. own quarantine. Utah already has a Taylorsville State Office Building. The from Guatemala and had been in close I think it interested how they live and behave. Their ability to fly is amazing. Thank you to all the farmers, ranchers and constituents of the firewood quarantine (UCA R86-23) that department will greatly miss Stephen and proximity to flora that were confirmed great state of Utah that support and protect our agricultural and prohibits potentially infested wood from wishes him the best in future endevours. infected with the exotic pathogen. A total What is your favorite insect? natural resources from new invasive and endemic agriculture being imported. of 2,150 geraniums from 11 different Anything that is fuzzy, shiny or metallic. I pests. Also, I send appreciation to our staff as they work nurseries were intercepted and properly The ash nursery stock quarantine was destroyed. like bees and the colorful beetles. relentlessly to promote, protect, monitor and control invasive proposed to the state Agriculture Advisory pests and diseases. These efforts help to maintain a competi- Board in January for consideration. An tive market, minimize pest losses and protect the future of open public comment period will follow. agriculture here in the state. It is with all of your support and help that we will continue to protect the state’s agricultural Insect Infestation Emergency Control industries, food supply and our quality of life for years to Act Changes UDAF is Moving! come. The Insect Infestation Emergency Control Act was updated in the 2020 Legislative A�er 38 years of working in the Session and changes went into effect later in William Spry Agriculture Building, Respectfully, the year.