North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Dan & Marilyn Mason" <dmason@rainyriver.lakeheadu.ca>]

Tue, 20 Feb, Michael Phillips wrote:

<Peach borers are moths - apple borers are beetles. One
excellent site to dive deep into borer nuance comes from
Art Agnello who puts out an excellent IPM newsletter for
Cornell. Check out this issue:>

http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/scafolds/2000/7.24_insects.html

-----------------------------

Michael, del, and all,

I've uploaded a photo to the 'files' section of our list's site.
I took this photo 3 days ago. This must be the roundheaded
borer mentioned in the Cornell website Michael Phillips
suggested.

"The roundheaded appletree borer is considered to be the species
of boring beetle most destructive to fruit trees in
.."    ---Cornell website

I was splitting a block of poplar (aspen), several of the lowest
blocks on the tree were 'honeycombed' and rotten in the heart
from many years of borer damage. In this case the tree had
an unusually large lower limb which had broken off from the
main trunk years ago. This injury was low on the trunk and
would have given easy access to the heart of the tree.

I took a few photos in below zeroF. windchill of the borer and my
fingers cooled off pretty quickly. This borer was about the size
of a couple jelly beans melted together.

I don't know if the borers that bother my apple trees are peach
tree borers or roundheaded borers. I figured the small holes in
young grafted trees were from the peach tree borers because the
holes were so small, but perhaps the roundheaded borers make small
holes in the bark when they are young. Something to figure out.

I usually leave the roundheaded and flatheaded borers, or
grubs as local people call them for the birds when I'm splitting
wood. But my sons are doing lots of ice-fishing this winter,
and said they could use any I find for bait.

Thanks for suggesting the Cornell site, Michael. The adult
roundheaded beetle is a beauty. I'll have to watch for them
this summer.

I've been painting my trees with clay/lime/cowmanure each fall
to deter voles from the lower trunk, but I guess I should keep
them painted through the early summer as well to deter borers.
If I can find the time.

I posted the roundheaded borer's photo to the 'files' section of:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nafex/files/

or go to the photo directly at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nafex/files/roundheadedborer1.jpg

Dan Mason   zone 3, NW ON, Canada


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