And everyone is minute past nine o'clock. We'll go ahead and get started. Welcome back to VC eg today, Thursday morning, October the 22nd, 2020. Rob belong as agricultural natural resource Extension agent in Essex County, Virginia. This more on this topic is going to be spotted land and fly. Is it a threat to Virginia and particularly the agricultural industry and horticultural industry against Virginia. So we'll have several guests with us this morning. We're pleased to be joined by Dr. Eric day, the manager of the Virginia Tech insect id lab, and also marks up and who is in a and our extension agent out in Frederick County, Virginia. So thank you gentlemen for being with us this morning and a boat to be done. Extensive work on the spotted lander apply here in the state of Virginia over the past several years. So appreciate you all join us and share in an update on this topic. Just like to thank everyone again for joining us this morning here only VCA today. And with that being said, Dr. Day or the floor is yours. Thank you for being with us. Okay. Thank you for the honorary doctorate as well to kind of get to the morning. So I never got that far. Anyway. Kind of after I got my Master's, University of Illinois, came straight to Tech 203040 years ago. And I, you know, there's a mesh count earlier comments beginning that there's there are a lot of players in this and this and not just in Virginia but nationwide. So there is a big concerted effort there. So this is kind of a breakdown of some of the things that I and mark, Doug Pfeiffer, Teresa Dellinger, man and odd with the gypsy moth grew. I'm working on right now. So I'm going to break this down into a couple parts. One is the distribution as we know it, as we've updated recently too. But the biology and then a kind of finish up talking a little bit of assists in science detection. So these are things that are evolving quickly, even though we've had this insect here for a few years now. It's, it's a learning curve that just continues to, to, to go up and up and up. So we're constantly updating. I was just updating the slides this morning. And that's that's just kind of part and parcel for dealing spotted lantern flawed. So first, a little basics. I think most people know everything, these basics about it. But by lifeline, scientific name like Corman della catch a lot, is a full board plant hopper. So we don't really have passed full gourds. And in Virginia there some things that get kinda close and the flatted plant hoppers. But this is kind of new territory for us because the biology of the full gourds, the plant hoppers is a bit different than dealing with other kinds of pass out there. So that's one learning curve. So originally from China base and DNA analysis found in Pennsylvania 2014. And so then Mark and Doug and I kind of watched this thing develop and Pennsylvania and kinda just dreading the idea was kinda get here, survive some very cold weather in Pennsylvania is one of the questions that we often get as, wow, wish that it could call good phrases where they'll take them all out. They survived quite well. Discovered Frederick County, 2018. This is the trace forwards. So material was shipped out of infested county. Festive location, Pennsylvania ship to Frederick County. We knew about that for agriculture and others where we're looking at that site advancing it was discovered there in Frederick County. So it came in on cargo. This is kind of one thing we get a lot of questions about where he's talked about earlier too. Is that what's the role of tree? I haven't said tree I hadn't is a preferred host and that's one of the easiest way to find it as look on Tree of Heaven. Heaven. Otherwise, I'll, Atlantis upsets some. A i is a required initially thought. Yes, but now we're not sure because we see full life cycles and egg masses on things like Naples, walnuts, et cetera. So it seems to come back to Tree of Heaven. And in the fall, although earlier in the spring has dispersion tree and haven't. So we all know there's, there, there are many graduate degree is going to be developed out of these kinds of questions about hose. So one thing we know for sure is it's found a wide, wide range of hosts. And we'll talk about that here coming up a little bit. So I, and we may also find that it can develop completely on hosts or the entry I haven't. So it's still a good idea to remove tree. I haven't. And that was an issue kind of coming back to federal agriculture, tree husband was a kind of essentially a gateway drug for brown warmer it stink bug in the ground state. So entry I hadn't and so three-headed removal, particularly I'm vegetable production. It was it was beneficial. So certainly anytime you can take out Tree of Heaven, invasive tree, that's going to help matters, but I don't know if it's going to be the be-all end-all first bottling line. So this is the map, the most recent map that, that is sort of the national map. This is the one that's produced by New York State integrated pest management program. So the blue are infested counties. The blue outlined with red are with state quarantines. So there's also a federal quarantine, but each state has to develop its own individual quarantine. So, and also states can develop external quarantine. So that was one of the things early on we dealt with in Virginia is that New York State was placing external quarantine on Virginia as soon as it was discovered in Winchester. So they were already regulating material coming out of Winchester. A little purple dots you can't see so easily on this map. Those are what are known as regulatory records. So these are, and you'll see some purple dots in Virginia and Pennsylvania and New York. Those are typically applies or picked up on cargo. Or reported by an individual, and it's like one single dead adult. So you get a lot of those and they kind of almost a point. They stop inputting those in because they just show up. They do a survey around the area. Those cases, determinism has not spread. Well, you look at Virginia will 0 in on that a little bit more too. But this is just kinda shows you that, you know, it's the initial detection was kind of in the center of that big blob and Pennsylvania, Burke County, Reading, Pennsylvania, and has spread there too. It's up to 25 counties. And you can see too, that there's some far Western County, Pennsylvania, and those are actually there, very, very close to the border with Ohio. So Ohio is very nervous about this. To sound. Connecticut recently picked up a record to on it as well. West Virginia Joining us is hazard record. And so it just kinda keep popping up and there's some there's some in there that are in the process of being. And take a look at him. Since likeliest map will grow soon. Alright, so first detection, Virginia, edward county, Winchester area, and actually technically was outside the city of Winchester. So initial detection was just into Frederick County, initially delimited one square mile, and but soon thereafter it was spreading. So this is the current known distribution. So this is the map that was the system that was produced by man and the gypsy moth group. That Mark and I use extensively to mark records. So all of these purple records in there are positives. And those are all from Marx, Marx motto, driving around the county and, and checking in on those. So those are all the positive regenerative agriculture map is going to look pretty similar. So this is as it was. So by set, by. So this this map was actually from yesterday. But officially the record for edX, the majority culture which deliver services 76 square miles. So if you were to throw a ruler on there, you kind of make a box. So then you would be coming up with about 280 square miles. It's not that, but this is you kind of look, I think the way I always look at the middle of the segues and thunderstorm near the outer edge, it'll rain drops of reaching it. So it'll rain drops a little infestations. But the main area is definitely all invested. So I Scott knows that I have my internet service a little spotty, so hopefully away still sees everything. Ok. This is map prepared by Mark based on the tax map. So this is. By the tact maps are about 93 square minus. So there's, there's a lot, a lot of work to track down where these infestations are. And so I would I would kinda err on the side that is more likely in a three square miles and 68 square miles for this infestation. Spot, a landmark on little bit on biology. And this is all available and fact sheets and this sort of thing too. So I right now that there are smiling to fly or any adult stage and they're laying eggs. But the exile overwinter. The eggs will hatch in the spring and so in the spring, particularly in May and June. Yeah, these black Nim sum, white spots. So these are the first three instars at first three stages. So they all have the same color pattern, just growing a bit in size as they get, as they develop. They also have a projection on their head, which is, is essentially where the mouthparts are began at the end of that projection. But the mouthparts are held underneath the body between the legs. When not in use. They are very good at hopping away. You'd think too that these things are conspicuous to be easy to see, that they move around the other side of the branch. It's not uncommon to walk right past him. You're out in the field. So may through May and June there in this stage, black with white spots. And then we get into, in into June, late June in July, and we get the fork and star, the fourth stage and black and white spots were develops a distinctive red coloration. So pretty conspicuous looking again, the Koppen jump away very quickly. A movie there side of branch. Not always easy to come across him in the field. So we get to the why and the middle of July, we start finding adults. And so this is kind of part of the biology that is part of the threat that we're dealing with with spot a lantern fly. And that they, the adults are active and alive. And you'll see in a minute the, they are accurate and July all the way until September. So for two months they're active, feeding, dispersing, and are not yet laying eggs. So you got these team on time or they're really kind of spreading out. These adults can also end up on cargo on the windshield of your car, on your clothing, et cetera. So they're really good at dispersing. At that point. They holder wings, a tent-like manner. And so they open up the wings. You can see the random hind wings. Later on. The, the females develop. The bees, they had been distend smell the eggs. You see the interstitial area between segments in their yellow. Alright. But there's altogether this is downloadable fact sheet from Virginia Tech. Also got a stack of print outs here too. If you want some, let me know. And this is biology as we know it, but we're tweaking it a little bit every year. So there's kind of a rundown of what I was talking about before. But, but again shows that activity period of the immature stages, the red activity adults again, he said, long period adults are active there. Again, remember they're dispersing at that time to the host list here is, is growing. I just added in sugar maple. Mark sent me record this morning on it. Tuesday we found in the freedmen maple, which is the cross with silver maple and Red Maple. So, and I'm going to take E, that's for the a, which is actually a thicker through what it's similar to what the praying mantises and a cockroaches make. Because eggs covered in a and material that fluid that's produced by the female that then than kind of access protection for it too. So the e has the egg also knows as on non plateaus like concrete and metal drums, or this is what we found in Frederick count. The other list there too, and I am Mark, you might need do some corrections on there too and and additions, but this is far from complete, but we're also, we do find McKay's another host. We will always find them on, on as laying eggs. So we're kind of still figuring out what they feed on and not so did you want to jump in and you've been really good about getting all these new host records here where you want to make. Anything here on this list. I think there are some additions that, that we have on top of these, but as you'll know, looking across this, it's a wide range of, of invasives as well as natives. Its species that are ornamentals in the landscape as shade trees at species that are in the forest setting. And we'll get into it to an ag past especially and most concerned with, with wine grapes. So yeah, this is ever-changing Unfortunately. Yeah. So this kind of keep checking back with us on, on this, this, this, this list is going to continue to grow over a 100. And, and I, I think is that Pennsylvania is over a 100 now in Virginia Mark. I think that's worldwide known host list is now over a 100. More, more news later on. Alright. So I just kind of briefly, one is again talk about tree. It had been and, you know, there's a lot of it's a past tree, it's invasive tree. But it gets even worse than that because tree I haven't grows a lot. Undisturbed soils. It grows along right away's railroads and highways. This is, this picture was taken right in the hot zone. Main infested misses in this is in Winchester. This is railroad crosses over at 11. All those trees, most those trees over hanging that we rail car or tree heaven. And there was pitcher has taken a recovered neg masses so obvious you take enough water. So this is that. Tree, I haven't connections by minor flies. It's made worse by the bathymetry inhabitants growing along these transportation corridors. Got any rest, stop, truck stop, etc. they're all have Tree of Heaven growing there too. So that's, that just kinda adds to the kind of the perfect storm of invasive coming into virgin. Alright. I think I've pretty much hit on these things. First record with 2018 in Virginia. And then so not too far, I'm 20 team Pennsylvania for agriculture had a meeting Mark and I went up there. And so they were talking about the success, the Pennsylvania Master Gardener Association. And Mark and I are sitting back the room and said, hey, let's try it. So the way to go, so it's our smallest yeah, it goes. Mark has access to a really great active five county master gardener program. And so this is an order to endo Master Gardener Association. They're a great group. So they we checked around and came up with a group of 24 volunteer Bandar's. It with scout, five county region decided first, you're kind of limited or the Northern Virginia. We're going to kind of begin theme. Lots of people involved on my butterfly. So we got help from David Johnson and they've closed the master gardeners. And black spurred Denise DOD in addition to man, and they're not related, but they had the same last name and they're in the same lab too. But they were Denise DOD, manna, DOB are instrumental in getting this this software. I'll talk about that here, coming up for it. So the initial area was he's five county region. And that actually the fifth County was rocking hammers is picked up by Jason Cooper too. So that was So again, we at VCE and master gardener folks working on. So we started just got nursery banding with these sticky band that help holding role there of it. We're wrapping our tree and we catch the spotlight on flies on there. Um, it's really, really good at catching spawn lender applies. It's also unfortunately really good about catching squirrels and birds, and solitary bees and all kinds of what they call bycatch. And it's just not, not where we want to. In fact, we've had some of the volunteers back out of it because birds again trapped on there. It was definitely not something they wanted to see or be involved with. So and I'll talk about kind of the alternative and we kind of came up with on that. So we asked that the volunteers have tree a heaven on their own property. And that was pretty key because with private property, in the fact that this is slit-lamp flies a quarantine unregulated passed. We want folks going out and just putting up bands all over the state and wherever the fat founded Tree of Heaven because you kinda getting some legal issues there If you find. Influence someone else's property, and they're going to then be placed under quarantine and regulations and compliance group from agriculture treaty the fibers, the diameter bigger. And so that's where the means are big enough to typically have surrounding populations respond later. Pla, place the traps about three feet above the ground, make it search type of tree, but unique number and date on it. And this is what starts happening. So not I mean, this is some his hours later you to start finding this vital interplay stuck on there. Eventually it looks like a spotlight on flight parking lot. They finally replies, fall from the trees on a pretty regular basis and then crawl back up. So we take advantage of that part of their biology. And dispersal, then trapped money bands and go back up the tree. This is what we came up with kind of as an alternative, the window sticky bands. So this is the circle trap. Actually, it should be a capital C Because developed by Dr. circle and Salter, Great Lakes IPM. And we put these traps out. Great Lakes IPM has now taken off on that. And with some input from Tracy less ski and others with USDA, USDA spotlight on fly trap, which is, has some modifications to this. But what it does is it forces this one can apply spotlighted flies up into that top two but the top as a reverse kind of cone. And then they, they get trapped in there on the top. And there you can see some in there. After a while you start getting ground beetles and ants and everything else and they're eating the spot Atlantic lies. So excited to go big or go home and developed between 19 AND place UC. Or you might recognize it up as a really, really good hand unless you're a partner, bids clubs. But anyway, so suicide to do marks out a mass email and read request that represented from each county or participating unit. And so in March of 2250 for attending. So each of those represented a whole big group was sort of a train the trainers. And they went back and then train their, their group. So they all showed up and super enthusiastic. That's been one thing that's been really nice to work with the master gardeners work and with the Master Naturalists and these various organizations as they're super enthusiastic to throw their time at this project. So we definitely want to, to, to utilize that interests their break down. Master Gardener Association, master gardeners or the biggest group. I'll set extension specialists come back. Progress. Kennedys keep our forestry county foresters in their urban foresters. And some of the counties at higher populations that we have an urban forestry programs. Park employs state and federal park employees. We center by home with circle traps, sticky bands, instructions on how to do it. Linked all the presentations Reich amounts showing past. Scraper cards and stacks of colored factions. This screenshot of man and DOD, he's, this is a Survey 1-2-3, this is ArcGIS and it's now as an app. On our phone, records the location. And instantly as you as you do it, uploads it. And then it goes right on our map and we can see where the records are for it. So pretty easy download. And it takes you through a series of questions. I find when I'm on the field, I can go through those questions. You know, less than a minute. You've got the data dataset uploaded. This is 2019 records and customer of the map and show you to there and the volunteers at the end. So I'm still good. Good. Smiling Bond and David at tn two. So again, it was definitely a win-win work at those master gardeners. So that a kind of a quick rundown. I know what topics was a threat. And I think as Mark mentioned, that the thread is going to be mostly to wine grapes, but the other threat is going to be to commerce. So if you have a company, it has the, has a conveyance that leads and invested. So it conveyances anything like a truck, trailer, equipment. It could be any plant material doesn't always fall into play, can be moved. So anybody who's moving conveyances, trucks, or plant material out of Frederick County, Winchester. They have to have a compliance agreement from agriculture and they have to do an inspection, self-inspection. They have to be that to some online training either through Virginia Tech or to Penn State and have this compliance agreement, inspection sheeted inspection and things and things go out. So it it doesn't impacts agriculture, but it impacts companies that ship, concrete blocks it in, back. In companies that ship equipment, that ship all kinds of things that are printed, anything. The bottling companies, soft soft drinks, any truck that is in the infested zone for anything more than fuel is going to have to be inspected. So right now it's kind of small. So it's just in in Winchester yet. And but is this grows, you're going to have it a lot more people impacted. We also work on the Christmas tree growers because if you're shipping Christmas trees out of the infested area, they have to be inspected, make sure they didn't have no egg masses, aren't four, they go part two. If you're a shipper in North Carolina or for the Mount Rogers area of Virginia and you drive a truck up and you're dropping off Christmas trees in Winchester, your trucks there longer than fueling. So it has to have inspection before it leaves for splitting a load, that sort of thing. So I think the big issue is going to be on commerce and moving of agricultural products in and out. Again, the conveyances are going to be the big issue for spotted lander applied. Certainly, it'll be a big passed on on wine grapes, table grapes, and probably to a certain degree on apples as well too. But it's the regulation that's going to also be a big issue because we don't want someone to Virginia to be that person. You don't want someone to be that person that brought spotted land or fly to another location. So and I think that the people who ship, they're very keen on that. We've got very good cooperation, very little pushback. Again, they don't want to be that person that ship spot of land and fly somewhere else in the state or somewhere else in the country. So scary bug. But I think that we're kind of getting a bit of a handle on it. But we're also seeing kind of expanding and growing and that sort of thing too. So and I don't know if I I kind of that's kind of what I had to say. I could either do question mark, if you wanted to jump in, if you anything else to add to that? Eric, I would just add to as you talk about the quarantine and kind of the regulated side of it? Yes. That officially only impacts corp companies corporations, commercial commerce is is how that's listed through the Virginia Department of Ag and consumer services regulatory oversight of this passed. But we we certainly ask the general public to also adhere to those same best management practices and do their part not to move this pest around. Simple movement of firewood, landscaping debris, a tree stand, an ATV, trailer or boat that sits outside during the egg-laying timeframe of September to November becomes at risk for having an egg mass on it, even patio furniture or backyard grill, things of that nature. We've seen it here or in Pennsylvania with egg masses on it. So it's really important to inspect items that are outside during the fall months before moving them. Because the risk is real, you can create a whole new population just by moving one egg mass. So Robbie and Laura, do we want to open it up to questions? I think there's some things there in the chat box too. Mark. Thanks. I didn't know if you had some slides or additional information you wanted to share, but I appreciate you being with us this morning. Shan those comments and enough, they know exactly something that folks in this part of the state. We haven't seen that yet, but, but it may come this way. So having that proactive approaches is certainly going to be beneficial. I see a couple of questions and stuff there in the chat as you mentioned, Mark, I think some of those you've addressed force. I'll just go back through some of those. I see one comment there. Were the individual finds and Lynchburg, Virginia Beach confirmed. Yes. Those were confirmed. But The as being well, let me back up. The one from Virginia Beach is still on the unknown category. There was some indication that maybe the picture was taken in Pennsylvania. I think this is one of the hazards social media individual hosted at multiple source of social media and then was shocked to have the part of agriculture in Virginia Tech contact. And so and then kind of made some comments and maybe it was picture was taken in Pennsylvania, recently bended Pennsylvania. Though they died. The Lynchburg apparently were dead adults, founded a public location. Right now. They're doing some delimiting surveys and trying to see if there's any indication it put out traps, that sort of thing that is typical of the other fines that are outside of Frederick County and in Clark County. They find it adults that adults, they put traps out there and they don't find anymore. So the thing to, or for a county becoming faster, that defined reproducing population they would fight either find the matures or the egg masses present on those trees. So right now, the Lynch bird or is it B sites are adults only, no reproducing population. Spotted land reply. But nonetheless, we don't wanna discourage people from reporting it at all because, you know, those, those early detections are going to be the best way to kind of get a handle on it in a location. But right now, I'm officially Virginia. It is just Fredrick and Clark County. But and I think that's also biologically as far as I know, those are the only reproducing populations, bottle intertwining Virginia. I'd also just chime in there a little bit. I think some of our fellow agents on on the call were asking earlier to how how Reports kind of come in and where they're funneled to ultimately, any any new new find in new county or city or even expansion within Frederick County or Clarke gets reported to Virginia Department of Ag and consumer services to plant health services side of V x. And there are numerous reporting portals, e-mails. Some of those go directly to Department of Ag here in Virginia. Most of them get funneled through Eric or myself in some way or fashion, whether it's emails or phone calls directly to us are the insect id lab and the online portal through E extension that Eric has mentioned. Also, the city of Winchester, the county of Frederick, Loudon County, have set up a website, pages on their county or city websites so that their residents are familiar with this insect. You know, not everybody is not everybody thinks or knows of Virginia cooperative. Attention or even Virginia Department of Ag to go and report such things. So though the localities are helping with individual websites and even reporting portals that, that go into the city and county portals and then are funneled to me here through the Winchester portal or to best SAS stray and Loudon County through their portal, who she then forwards to to us and sometimes Department of Ag. So again, just to re-emphasize what Eric says, it's really a team effort with multiple state agencies, federal agencies, localities. It's a big deal and everybody is trying to do their part. We had an additional question mark and Eric employs, is there control for pests if found on a you talked a little bit about some contain then options and some monitoring with traps and etcetera. But in areas where this has been established, Do we have pesticide options and things like that for control and situations? Yeah. We've been working with a look at what Pennsylvania developed and Mark and I and take a look at the control options for backyard. So we've already produced There's a fact sheet on best management practices for five-line or via, There is a fact sheet on that same topic to the best management talks about treatment timing and particular pesticides to use. As you would imagine, the systemic are a pretty good option than a tough year and is the best systemic for it. Met a cloud part a little bit variable, although I think in the backyard situation that may be a pretty good option. It does respond well to contact insecticides like the pyrethroids and an even seven. So it's, it's readily controlled. That's one made a good thing. There's a number of pesticides you can use. Pretty good jot. Main things timing. But like say Japanese beetle, it's a very good dispersing. You can, you can wipe out all of population. But because it's so mobile, Yeah, more coming in. So the systemic kinda help on that to where we're still learning and learning to with that fighting. Maybe it's systemic or lasting more than a year in the tree. This is just kinda based on anecdotal observations from Mark and I and some previously treated sites. So, you know, again, it's just, it's just a big learning curve, but there are some good options. I would, you know, take a look at what's posted on Virginia Cooperate Extension that VC's by Lana fly site. There's resources and there's the best management practices on there. If anybody has any trouble finding anything on there, any question about what I've presented or once a copy in my presentation was let me knows their email and I can send you whatever I can help you out. Eric, I just chime in there a little bit too. And as you say, you know, the, the, I think the most difficult thing what this past is, you can take care of them at, on, on your property or your vineyard or your orchard and the surrounding landscape because they're occurring. On over a 100 known how species and very high numbers, you know, potentially thousands per individual tree. They can reinvest even a treated block pretty quickly. And I think too, like firing like emerald ash bore, like gypsy moth. Right now for agriculture is doing some eradication program. Eventually, as the quarantine spreads, distribution spreads of spot a lantern fly, that it'll become the individual homeowners responsibility do control. I think initially if you take an idea like, well, hey, come and take care of it. And that mate, that is the case on the early infestation stages. And what happens is the budget just gets tapped out. I mean, it's just not there being mean, but it just Venture there's fed out these very expensive do eradication programs. And so eventually, like I'm an emerald ash bore that she's kinda turns over to the individual homeowners. So I think that's fairly safe to say, Mark, I think that's what's happening. And in Winchester now it's kinda going, if a homeowner wants control, they have to foot the expense themselves. So which is kinda the, now the what, where we're at with it. Unfortunately. So we'll keep working on developing, you know, good home remedies for it. It is a quality of life issue. The populations in Pennsylvania and soon to be, unfortunately in Virginia, or so outrageously huge that you get so much sooty mold the trees trunk and the ground turned black, you get so much money, do what? That the sugar and the ground starts to ferment. It smells like vinegar. You can literally just have, you know, you can walk outside someplace in Pennsylvania and get 102030 of them on your clothing. So they're just everywhere, is that people don't want to go outside. And parts of eastern Pennsylvania is bigger than high populations partly report. So Jedis and agricultural pests. But to quality of white backyards. Eric, If I can just add a few things there as well. So the the best management practices and some of those resources that are out there, there's one, Eric and Doug Pfeiffer and others have been very helpful at developing more specific fact sheets and resources. One for vineyards, one for the residential situation, one for lawn and landscape and timing information. So lots of, lots of good resources there that we can provide. And as Eric alluded here in Winchester, Frederick County, as well as Clark County, where the population currently exist. Virginia Department of Ag, with funding from the USDA, is attempting and has a management plan on going. And it it remains unfortunately underfunded to reach all properties. So we're seeing residents start to get frustrated and concerned and wondering why. You know, the government isn't coming to, to remove these insects and do something about it. And they are working in the area, again, with, with limited resources, they have to prioritize how they're approaching that. Certainly looking at Perimeter small populations, looking at high-risk sites and areas for movement and hitchhiking. And some of the highest, highest population and aggregation areas is really the sites that they're focusing on. But unfortunately, we've reached the point where they're not not getting to all properties and the burden of management is going to fall directly on the landowner. So yeah, and just to follow up to we we know this as a forest pests. We know it as a AG passed and we know it as a home landscape backyard pest. To date here in Frederick County, we have not really dealt with it as an ag passed yet. It has largely been concentrated and the bulk of the population is in residential and industrial locations of the city and county. We are starting to pick it up in traps. The USDA team, the less SKY LAB that Eric had talked about earlier, has been working with some of our local orchards. And there are traps surrounding some of those orchards there picking up adult insects in those traps. This fall on the perimeters of orchards. Dr. Doug phi for the, the tree fruit and small fruit entomologist. He's based in blacks burg on campus. Was in the area just two weeks ago and picked up the first adult lantern fly on a Vineyard property. It was actually still on Tree of Heaven, so we have yet to observe it on wine, grape plants, but it has been found now on a vineyard site. So we're, we're watching and staying tuned. In Pennsylvania, they have reported come complete vine death after, after heavy feeding of lantern flyer, multiple years of heavy feeding of lantern flies. Possibly in addition to the wet year of 2018, further stressing the vines and a cold winter following led to complete vineyard kill or majority of Vineyard kill on a few sites. So certainly a concern for our grape growers. Mark, I'd just make a comment. We I was looking through the chat window and for those folks that maybe you're just joining us via audio connection, there was a question about this being an actual pests for vegetable crops. And I just wanted to make that note for the folks that were just audio that you didn't have anything definitive old vegetables at this time? Yeah. That question actually came from Dr. Kumar, who's our vegetable entomologist. And he is part of the greater team also working on spotted lantern fly. And, and that question is out there and we see antidotal information and some social media posts. Once in a while of, of Nymphs feeding on, say, cucumbers or sunflowers and some other potential vegetable crops. Nothing. There's just not much info out there yet and we haven't we haven't observed that yet here in in Virginia, so still yet to see a Rabi? Yes. Or might I got a question is probably a more question, I guess. You Tomoko air could answer it. You've bought a B deck Sabbath and more. What is there? What is their role? Because it looks like you guys do. And from what I've seen doing a lot of the work, what is their role? I know that with giant, How we, if we find that we are to report to be decks, they will eliminated, they'll monitor it for the next five years. But you really can't do that with a score like insect. What is their role? Well, v taxes. Right now their main issue is doing delimiting surveys. So there's a whole team of BTEX inspectors for anomaly in Northern Virginia or cut tracing down all of these records that Mark and I submit to them, as well as tracing forward all reports that they are getting As and also from from cargo that's going forward. So whatever they were doing, force flawed land flies than kinda messed up because a, I'd say that all inertia inspectors are doing a lot more now with with book chasing down the spotlight RFI. So their their roles kind of looking at these outlying areas and seeing tracing down these reports. They're following up on cargo and also the monogenic quarantines. Their state statutes have to be applied. Who's the quarantine? And so they are setting up the quarantine, setting up the compliance agreements and that sort of thing too. So they are they are doing a lot. Mark and I are education, outreach. They are kind of in some ways behind the scenes, doing a huge amount of work on, on detection and delimiting just how far it's spread outside of my account that answers your question, but that there's Everybody's everybody's working on it. So I gotcha. Ok. One last question. If a person were to walk out that door and found the spotted lag lie. With the process, what do we do? An iPod is if you've already covered this, they would, they would step on it first and grind it to little tiny pieces and then they take a picture of it and sent to me, I can still idea from the pieces but squash it if you see at first reported through the portal. So on the VCE webpages, the pluralist. And he would say that there, Mark and I would get an update within seconds such he put on the CTL. We ideally you include us an address, a street address, that this is exactly where it's at. Within probably minutes. I would be calling up the department agriculture. If it was close to Mark and I hear a car starting up and we'd be hadn't there. So it detections get the Adelle width as quickly as they possibly can and, and lots of agencies jump in. There's another player in this is the USDA. So tracy last skews the USDA, but there's also other USD, there's a national spotlight or flight program involved with that. And then there's also the people who work at the port. So the AIF has p pq, the, the inspectors at the ports. You are regulating car come in. They're also involved with the 2s again, many many agencies, but that would be it. And there's other ways you can pour it. I mean, you could send a sample to me at the id lab, but I would think you'd get Thank you guys. Fine. Line to fly. Like a phone call or an email or something pretty quick. And will if it is five lunar flight, things get role in really quickly. Eric, If I can just jump into there to add to VDD acts efforts for Mike. So here in in the infestation area, Department of Ag Virginia as well as USDA, has a field team working daily. I don't know the current numbers. At one time it was a team of about six to eight individuals working full-time in the area. And so their management program involves, it's a voluntary program for landowners with spotted lantern fly in the detection area. And so Virginia Department of Ag sends letters by mail with door hangers and dropping off flyers, even door-to-door knocking. The the the field team has done to track down property owners and get them information about this insect and the management program over the past two years. Again, It's, it's at this point reach beyond their capacity to get to all properties in the area. But so they reach out to landowners, let them know about the insect and that they're in the infestation area. If the property owner gives them permission. The team then comes back and surveys for Tree of Heaven on the site, and that gets inputted. The property owner is then asked if they give permission for treatment to be done to those Tree of Heaven. So small Tree of Heaven under six inches diameter at breast height are treated with herbicide to kill the tree. Greater than six inches diameter at breast height is treated with Dinah tough, you're on the insecticide. Eric mentioned systemic. And that's to kill and reduce the spotted lantern fly population on the property. So again, that's hand in hand, Virginia Department of Ag staff, USDA staff, and their third-party contractor doing that work. Anymore. Because forward, we are going to try to have a citizen science project again, 4021. We had a berry. The COBIT version this year. And so we're hope, I'm hopeful. But there's a pony in there somewhere. And we'll have a be able to have a violin or fraud detection program 2021. So kinda late spring and look for some emails from Mark about getting that going in. And so we'll hopefully hopefully be doing of befall says such detection program. And next year. Gentlemen, we got another great question in the chat box up for landowners and farmers. Anyone that may, even homeowners that may be out trying to scout for tests passed. They're looking on the tree of heaven or any of the host species that you've mentioned. Are you basically finding though there's anywhere within those trees more so on the top and the foliage down at the base. Any, any comments on that? Everywhere? You'll see the egg masses from things below the tree, all the way up to as high up as you can see. Marked a survey work binoculars. It's not uncommon to see egg masses in the very top parts of the tree. As an entomologist, as pretty humbling to go out and look because you can walk, run Nathan egg mass and listen, they're gray there. The bottoms typically on the bottom of the branches that are about three or four inches in diameter. But and you got a little bit of sunlight there and the skies bright. It's really hard to see. And so anyway, so there the whole tree take along that if I were surveying, surveying now I'm check on maple trees. They seem to be laying eggs very headway and maple trees right now. So there's that would definitely be checking on the maple trees. So they like tree I haven't like anything neccessary haven't. So but definitely start with tree I haven't doubling what top to bottom. And particularly on those those branches that are that are it just above your head that are three or four inch diameter branches? That's one of the more likely place to find. Are there others? So Mark has a real good spot of land or fly eyes. I don't know if you want to add some comments into their spores, what you're doing for sure. So just a little bit to add there. I mean, where to look somewhat changes throughout the season and, and the life cycle of the land and fly. So the young nymphs are going to feed primarily on the tender growing shoots of, of a wide range of host plants. As they mature to the fourth n star, that was the bright red juvenile stage that really likes black walnut. So in that timeframe, we're we're really looking on Black wanted for them. They're also coming back to Tree of Heaven quite heavily. At that life stage, the adults as well as the fourth and stars are the ones that start feeding through the, the, the more woody tissue and on, on branches and stems and the trunk of trees. Right now where I primarily go and look for the outliers and What I'm looking for and low population areas are Tree of Heaven with vines growing in them, whether that's Poison Ivy or Virginia creeper or wild grape, preferably wild grape or Virginia creeper. That's often where I find adults in low population areas this time of year is on a Tree of Heaven. And actually, now that Tree of Heaven has synesthete so much and lost the majority of its leaves. They're likely to be feeding on the vines themselves. Grapevine or Virginia creeper over the tree of heaven. Alright. Any other questions or comments were either Mark or Eric this morning? All spotted learner fly. That we've covered everything in the chat window. And I'll, I'll open it up for anyone else. It may have questions or comments. And while we're waiting for some comments to come into. So for those of you throughout the state, I know you guys as agents are primarily in the northern neck region of the state and may have attendees here in that region. So if, if your landowners, the encouragement still would be to reduce Tree of Heaven on your property. And if, if, if your, your number of Tree of Heaven and your property acreage is so great that you can't get them all. Focus on the female Tree of Heaven. They do occur as male and female. Females are the ones that are going to produce seeds and, and further distribute Tree of Heaven. So start with reducing those first. Maybe focus on Tree of Heaven in and around buildings and storage buildings and equipment sheds and things like that where if spotted lantern fly were to establish your, your higher risk of moving it around, an impact to your commerce and shipping would be impacted. So start in those, those higher risk scenarios. Again, Tree of Heaven is an invasive weed species itself and it will sprout aggressively from cut stumps and the entire root system. So it's not advise to just go and hack these things off. Don't cut them down, don't know them off without incorporating a better management plan. Typically utilizing an herbicide of some sort and appropriate timing. Fall is a difficult time to to manage. You have an if you're just cutting it down, a lot of the herbicides, This is the wrong time to be applying those. So study up on that a little bit or we can get you some additional information, but you can turn it into a more significant problem if you just start cutting them down without use of herbicides or other resources that I will typically point people to. For management and especially timing information. The Virginia Department of Forestry publication on the I think it's the biology and utilization of Tree of Heaven is a great resource. It, it goes through all the management approaches quite, quite extensively. Also, Rachel Brooks has put together a great look alike page or fact sheet for a spot or four Tree of Heaven. And it goes over things like a couple of species of Sue Mac and black walnut that can look quite similar to Tree of Heaven. Alright, any other comments or questions as more of our guest speakers, we've had a great discussion. A lot of great resources have been shared. So any other questions or comments before we finish up this morning? Uh, Yeah, Robbie, This is Tom coup her. Mark, Eric, thanks for thanks for the great update. And I have a question. You guys are aware of all the establishments and new records and it seemed from the map that that that Winchester movement of the bug from Pennsylvania to Winchester appears to be the only one where that was human transportation that that started a new population of, of the bug, the rep, like just a natural blob population of the bug that just keeps expanding from its epicenter. Probably adults flying. So I mean, is there any other sites where, you know that, you know, people, humans have transported this bug and started it. Yet, Tom, as far as I know, the only to confirm human movement would be the initial infestation was brought to Pennsylvania, Burke County, and then the movement into Frederick County north of Winchester would be the way to confirm human where the, where the actual, the population than established and started reproducing plenty of hundreds of other intercepts. And either live adult intercepts other places around the country, around the state. But so far, yeah. Those are the only two where human assisted movement is is, is the considered the most likely way those got moved at Burke's Cali and then to Frederick County. And then from there, yes, they kind of they spread out on that. Still the best theory and we there there's somebody a possibility. I think the big thing that I see for Winchester is that it's a fairly typical transportation hub where you got lots of companies shipping all over the country, getting stuff in from all over the country. So the best-case scenario was that the trace forward site where they came from Pennsylvania to Winchester. But we don't know. There's a lot of other companies in there that get a lot of material that come in. Those also those companies haven't looked as potential and maybe shift things out. But yeah, as far as we know, those those two would be the only two. That way. We strongly suspect for you remove from their natural spread and spyware. Boy, I'm also, it's not showing up on the latest version of the map, that New York IPM map. But a previous version that was dated August 24th was showing Washington County, Maryland, which is Hagerstown, Maryland. I think there is is possibly a small population there that they're working to eradicate. So that's kind of an outlier as well. And again, I think Eric was alluding to earlier in the presentation. We may see an additional one or more AND virginia that, that pop up and similar fashion. And you only get bent at a, they said this one has a strongest possibly getting move by humans. So like gypsy moth or emerald ash bore. So unfortunately, I think there will be some other instance where does we do exceed maybe an egg mascot Lu, population establish. So definitely vigilance. There's gotta be a big thing for this product. Yeah, I agree with you, Eric. I think when that population showed up in Winchester, I was like, oh man, we aren't gonna spread this thing all over the country. And I've just kinda been surprised that we don't just keep parent of these things popping up and, and, and he also how cryptic eggs can be on when something like that's just, I think it's just been a feather in the cap to the education and outreach that's been done to at least make people aware of this. I think it's probably played a role that there's enough people out there that are looking for it. So I think that's probably played a role. Yeah. And if I could say to the agents that I know you're dreading this thing showing up. But we're we've got a big group that are out there working on it. And we'll we will be there with all what are we what are we cans for us, get information to you and help it out and that sort of thing too. So adapting what dread it avoided for long as you can, but a lot of resources out there. You're not going to be alone, which shows up in your county. And had a question is, is it harder to control than some of the other hoppers are true bugs? I think insecticide wise, it responds Well. I mentioned the things that are in our best management practices. Listening also, dave bed injure with Penn State has a whole list of insecticides is some very promising. So I think as comparison other hoppers, we aren't really dealing with too many other old gourd pasts. There's a flatted plant hopper that's gets onto trees and shrubs. I'm not really even that big of a past, so I don't really have too many paragraphs and at least Saqqara in the landscape situation too. But I think from what I've been hearing from Pennsylvania is that the growers, they're not happy about it, but they're able to get a handle on them with, with insecticides and, and they're spending more money or more time controlling it, but they are able to get some, some controls out there. So the main thing is, is detecting it. But then once it's there, you'd have the cost. But it is it is possible to manage this particular past. All right. Well, I don't see your hair or anything else, so we'll go ahead and wrap up this morning. No questions on Facebook from lower. So think gentleman who'd done an excellent job covering all of this. We really appreciate Eric and Mark both being with us this morning. Thank you both for all of your continued efforts and hard work on this topic through the past two years. I know it's been a challenge and some aspects also would like to thank USDA and FDX for all their help and cooperation with the project. I think as as was mentioned earlier, you know, I think it's really a true testament to to show that through this, we have been able to keep it in the small areas. Unfortunately, marks are sorry for the folks in Frederick County, but hopefully I think that's just a testament to you all is great work. So thank you all for everything that you're doing it and helping us out in eastern Virginia to have a proactive approach if, if this thing does happen to find its way out here. So thank eat off all involved for all your hard work and efforts. Again, thank you to our two guest speakers this morning, Eric de and marks up front for join us in their presentation and comments. The posting of this recording will be added to our YouTube playlist on you can see there a link on your screen for the recorded sessions where you can find those. Next week we will be joined by Steve right out at time t2. Or our next week's presentation will be for vegetable pest update. So any producers that are raising fall vegetable crops, any type of cold crops will not have some updates on that. So please feel free to join us and share that opportunity with anyone that would be interested and benefit from that presentation. Also, I'd just like to take a second to recognize the team of agents that make this effort possible every week. Laura maxi, ne, Stephanie Rommel, check Trent Jones and byproducts like to thank them for all their help and in efforts to get this information out to folks. And thank you for the support and production of everyone has been involved. Really, really appreciate that. So if you have joined us this morning, please take a few moments. We do have a valuation for the program. It takes just a short while. Stephanie's added the link there in the chat box. So if you just take a few minutes to fill that out. Also, if you have future topics that you think would be helpful for folks on, you'd like information on. Please share that with us, will do our best to make us possession on those topics. So again, thank you both for being with us, Eric and Mark this morning. We really appreciate all your time and expertise. In hope everyone takes care and has a great rest of there Thursday.