On September 25, 2020, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced finding two dead specimens of the invasive spotted lanternfly(SLF) in the towns of Milford and Norwood, MA. MDAR notes they were brought in on materials that originated in Pennsylvania counties currently under a spotted lanternfly quarantine. MDAR was also recently notified that nursery stock with spotted lanternfly egg masses and adults may have been unintentionally imported and planted in several parts of Massachusetts.

Because no live lanternflies have yet been found in Massachusetts, there is currently no evidence that SLF has become established in the Commonwealth. As a precaution, surveys are planned in the areas where the insects were found to confirm that no live populations are present. While a dead lanternfly was previously found in the Boston area in December of 2018, repeated surveys have found no further signs of SLF in that part of the state. For more information, visit MDAR's press release: https://www.mass.gov/news/state-agricultural-officials-urge-residents-to-report-signs-of-invasive-spotted-lanternfly

For more information about the spotted lanternfly, please visit: https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/spotted-lanternfly

If you have seen any of the life stages of this insect (pictured here) in Massachusetts, please report it: https://massnrc.org/pests/slfreport.aspx

UMass Extension Pesticide Education is offering nine continuing education workshops for pesticide contact hours.

These workshops will be held from October 13 through November 17 using Zoom video conference. In case you are not familiar with Zoom, we will offer a short tutorial before the workshop series.

Registration, workshop descriptions and dates are listed in the link below.  

https://www.umass.edu/pested/recertification/current_workshops.htm

Please contact Natalia Clifton at nclifton@umass.edu or call 413-545-1044 if you have any questions.

• Spotted Lanternfly traps can be effective, but need careful installation

The Department has opened up September 16^th and September 23^rd to hold Commercial Applicator (Core) exams.

https://irritechtraining.com/event/residential-irrigation-installation-training/

https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/newsletters/hort-notes/hort-notes-2020-vol-316

UMass Green School is going VIRTUAL for 2020! 

Classes will be Oct. 26 - Dec. 10.

This comprehensive 12-day certificate short course for Green Industry professionals is taught by UMass Extension Specialists, University of Massachusetts faculty, and guest presenters.

TickTalk webinars continue at Univ of Mass Amherst: Extinction of Deer Ticks in North America, Aug 12 12noon

Dr. Stephen Rich will discuss a recent publication in Nature (June 2020) from the Laboratory of Medical Zoology that provides insight to the evolutionary and ecological origin of the primary Lyme disease vectors in North America. 

New InsectXaminer on Willow Leaf Beetle from UMass Amherst Extension

The imported willow leaf beetle was first reported in the United States in 1911 in Staten Island, NY. This invasive insect is native to Europe and prefers willow (Salix spp.) but has also been recorded on poplar (Populus spp.)

At the July Board of Directors meeting tonight it was decided to suspend the 2020 Mike Stacy Memorial Scholarship Golf tournament.  This decision was an extremely difficult one, but understandable given the current circumstances.  As this golf tournament is the only fundraiser for our scholarship fund, we are hoping to host a fundraiser later this year.  Details to follow.