Gypsy Rover...

"He is no gypsy father,

He is lord of the lands all over,

And I shall stay, till my dyin' day,

With my whistlin' gypsy rover." - Irish Folk Song

Gypsy Moth Pheremone Trap Photo: Dan Porter

Well you may have noticed a red tent shaped box in some of our oak trees on campus. They are traps, working with the Missouri Department of Conservation, set to look for the dreaded gypsy moth! Yet another invasive alien species wreaking havok on Americas forests, and with Missouri being home to so many beautiful oaks, I fear some of our forests may be devasted by this pest. According to the Missouri Department of Agriculture's 2009 survey, this pest has been found in Missouri.

The gypsy moth came from Eurasia around the mid eighteen hundreds. Because they are not native here, they have few natural predators and competitors. So what kind of damage do they cause? So far it is estimated over 100 million acres of forest have been defoliated by this pest, and it continues.

Gypsy Moth Larvae

Photo: U.S.D.A.

The larval form, or caterpillar form, is the most damaging. Though they prefer oaks, they will feed on many other species of trees. This form hatches from their eggs early spring through late May. The larval form is known to defoliate complete trees in a single season.

The gypsy moth then reach their adult form around late June through July. They then mate, lay eggs, and soon die and start to disappear around August. The male and female differ in coloration so identification can be troublesome. Please click here to learn more about this pest and its characteristics.

Adult Gypsy Moths

Right: Note Male Coloration

So what can you do to help? Well the gypsy moth gets its name as its a traveler! They often hitch on to camping gear and/or vehicle that visit infested states, so inspect every inch of your gear when you travel before you pack up, and search your vehicles inside and out to slow the spread!

Insects can be tricky to Identify, but if you spot a gypsy moth and are able to collect it please contact the Missouri Department of Conservation.

SNAKE!

I often get a panicked phone call or radio call: "SNAKE! On campus!"

I had a neighbor once who always killed snakes whenever he saw them. I was young and shy and never said anything to him, nor really thought much about it, until the day he had to buy a new lawn mower when rats had made a nest in the engine compartment and ruined the one he had. I wonder how he could have prevented that? Get out your Sherlock Holmes hats and magnifying glass folks!

Even some of the biggest animal lovers I have had the pleasure meeting will shiver with the small mention of the word "Snake." I have even heard of the most unlikely people killing snakes that "chased" them around their garden.

Snakes have gotten a bad reputation prior to our common era. A serpent represents evil in some religions. Many have read stories as children where snakes have been known as the sign of gorgons, women with snakes for locks of hair. I could write a whole essay on snakes used irresponsibly in folklore, but I will spare you.

I also hear snakes being described as slimy, cold blooded, and aggressive. Most snakes are anything but slimy, often very dry and in some cases quite rough. Cold blooded yes, but with thermoregulation snakes often have warmer blood than our own! Aggressive? Maybe on rare occasions, or if the snake feels trapped (or your a food source ;)). More than likely the snake wants to get as far away from you as possible!

Another call I often get is "We found a snake on campus, and I think its poisonous!" Often snakes get misidentified. Snakes do look a lot alike and I fear many snakes have succumb to the bad end of a shovel due to poor identification. We are fortunate to live in a state where venomous snakes and non-venomous snakes are easily distinguished by four simple factors!

All venomous snakes in Missouri are vipers, and have "viper scales" This means they have tiny keeled scales covering their heads, unlike the non-venomous typical "colubrid" large scales we see on non-venomous snakes... If you can spot the underbelly tail area on venomous snakes have a single row of scales where non-venomous have two. Though this is difficult even for the most seasoned of snake handlers to see from a distance.

Left: Note Large Head Scales and Round Pupil: Non-venomous

Right: Note Tiny Kneeled Head Scales Venomous

All Missouri venomous snakes are pit vipers, therefor they have heat sensing pits on the sides of their face just in front of the eye. Also, all venomous snakes in Missouri have vertical pupils, as opposed to the round pupils on most of Missouri's non-venomous snakes. Missouri Water Snakes are often mistaken as water moccasins a.k.a. cottonmouths, but are easily distinguished by their pupils, though I know from experience, water snakes are very good biters and should be avoided at all costs. (Multiple "water snake" species occur in Missouri.) Though in dark conditions, the pupil may be open like a cats eye, and be difficult to distinguish.

Note: Heat Sensing Pit and Vertical Pupil

All snakes should be avoided, and should be given room as they play an important part in our ecosystem. It is always the safest route as well. They are important in controlling our rodent populations and in some cases, even eat other snakes, even the venomous ones! That old neighbor of mine might have had a lawnmower for life if he would have just appreciated the snakes he had in his yard! Good job to all you P.I.'s who cracked the case!

Feel free to call us if you see a snake on campus, we love the opportunity to help them out as they have helped us! We will gladly take the snake nearby where it will be out of harms way!

Space Invaders!

Well not quite space invaders, but alien invaders none the less! Its the annual invasion of Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica)! These insects are native to Japan but unfortunately made there way to North America around the early nineteen-hundreds, and now they are our problem. I have received reports over the last couple weeks of these aliens on campus, and have seen some early risers here or there, but the big one is here.

Adult Japanese Beetle

Its a shame to say this, but this is by far, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful adult form insects in the world. Too bad they are so invasive and damaging! So whats the dark, slimey, icky secret about this bug? Their larva form, GRUBS! "Ewwwwwww!"

Japanese Beetle Larva

Beetle larva, grubs, live beneath the surface in the soil feeding on plant roots. This usually begins Mid-spring and start emerging very late-spring and early summer. The grub form can be quite damaging to plants as they feed on roots, remember these are invasive, so our native plants aren't used to these aliens! Early grub stages is the best time to apply Milky Spore. The grub stage is the best time to control this pest with insecticides as well.

I know... I know, its too late and you already have your plants being devoured. Considering these insects feed on hundreds of plants, it could be a multitude of species, here at the college they prefer crabapple, potato vine, and devour lindens! So what can you do now? HURRY! Put on a pair of gloves and start hand picking these bugs off your plants and drop them in a bucket of soapy water, because Japanese beetles want to do two things thing when they are adults, eat and ...mate! This means these beetles are emitting pheromones to attract other beetles and attract they will, as these beetles sometimes travel up to several miles, so even if you did your part and treated grubs in your yard, it is doubtful all your neighbors did as well.

Speaking of pheromones, you will see Japanese beetle traps for sale at garden centers and hardware stores, well let me attempt to dodge a lawsuit with the following disclaimer:

All opinions expressed by Dan Porter, are opinions and nothing more, and can be fully substantiated by the opinions of this author... (wink wink)

If you purchase a trap that uses pheromones to attract beetles, you will get your monies worth, because thats exactly what the trap will do, attract beetles, and more beetles, and more beetles... Getting the picture? (wink wink)

So keep a look out for these beetles in your landscape! If you wish to learn more about this damaging pest and have a printable guide please click here...

So get out today and enjoy the campus, and see some aliens!

Typical Japansese beetle "skeletonizing" damage

connections...

I love meeting people from every walks of life. I always love to hear ones special story of a tree they planted, a garden they have, or an outdoor adventure they experienced! I think it is important for me to make those connections with people everyday.

It is also important that I make connections with people in the green industry as well, even those outside my realm. I am currently doing a lot of work with proposals through the Missouri Department of Conservation and the National Arbor Day Foundation. We are also reaching out to the Biology department to team-up on some projects, and working with the Higher Education Sustainability Consortium to work on ideas for the grounds department. There is lots of exciting "green" projects we have been working on and many to come soon, and I hope you will lend me the time to talk about those exciting projects here in my blog very soon!

One important connection for the grounds department is to have a good relationship with the Missouri Department of Conservation. They do a lot of great work in our state and are full of people who have similar passions for the outdoors and the environment as a whole!

So the purpose of this "Blog Update" is to let you know, Wednesday afternoon, June sixteenth, the Missouri Department of Conservation will be on campus to attach identification tracking bands on our resident Canada geese, and then release them for tracking purposes. Please be sure to give them plenty of room to work, avoid the lake areas at this time, and understand they are not harming the birds in any way! I suspect more harm will come to the bird handlers!

So if you are out and enjoying the campus and you see a Canada goose taking down a couple of people in brown shirts, this is wehat they get paid to do!

Unsung...

I am often guilty of taking things for granted. St. Charles Community College is full of the best Faculty and Staff west of the Atlantic and beyond! We have some of the most inspiring faculty I have the pleasure to be around every day, whether I am in the classroom, or in the hallways, or outside under a shade tree. We have the kindest, hardest working staff, and the most encouraging people on campus I have ever met. We also have the rarest gem of all, students that always amaze me by their kindness, intelligence, and determination. I am constantly humbled by this campus community everyday and am honored to be a small part of it.

I would like to take a moment to introduce the grounds department, as they are the reason I have this great job, and we have these beautiful grounds. The Grounds Department Crew is made up of students, volunteers, master gardeners, and some of the smartest people I have ever met. The groundskeepers, each and everyone, inspire and encourage me everyday to be a better person and always bare with me when I make mistakes, or we make mistakes, and we resolve them together. I may be biased, but I doubt there is a grounds department crew on this planet that are as kind, inspiring, hardworking, and just plain and simple good people. With out them my position, these grounds, and this blog, would never be possible. To the groundskeepers, if you read this, I would like to say thank you. I wish words could express my gratitude.

Left to Right:

Shay Brown, Amy Templer, Jay Jackson, Tyler Busken, Tyrell Jones.

Not Pictured: Drew Brown and Don Hirschfeld

The birds...

Alfred Hitchcock may have marred our idea of birds, but they are beautiful creatures!

We certainly have no shortage of birds on campus, robins aplenty and grackle galore! We even have a bald eagle stop by every winter.

Every year I have spotted a Killdeer nest, usually on the outskirts of campus no one ever sees, but this year they moved on campus, likely due to construction on their usual stomping grounds.

One of the reasons I enjoy killdeer is they are very intelligent parents! When faced with a potential predator, they will often jump in front of them and gain their attention by calling loudly and flapping their wings. Then the act begins, once they have the potential predators attention they wobble away dragging their wing as if they are injured and easy prey, leading the predator away, and just when the predator thinks his meal is a certainty, the killdeer flies off confidently confusing the pursuer, and then returns to the nest.

Many birds are given common names after their call, and the kill deer is named due to its "Kill-deer, kill-deer, killkillkillkill..." sounding call. Though the name is menacing, there is no scientific evidence these birds actually take wild deer. To hear the call please click here.

Typical Killdeer nest with four eggs.

Admittedly my favorite thing about killdeer is their young are the cutest of all birds. They are downy chicks that look as if they are on stilts! The young chicks are able to walk, see, and forage soon after hatching, so there are not dependant on their parents to bring them food as in many nesting species.

I hope you get a chance to get out on campus, enjoy the fresh air, and recognize the call of the killdeer! Here in a few weeks keep an eye out for little babies on stilts as well! If your interested in learning more about killdeer as I was, here is a great website with videos and recordings... Killdeer Information