Federal and state regulators recently recovered specimens of the borer from native wasps that feed on it in the Naugatuck State Forest.  Three additional borers have been captured in a trap located in Prospect, while other beetles were captured in a trap in Naugatuck.  Connecticut becomes the 16th state to deal with EAB, which has great flying abilities.  There is currently an EAB quarantine for New Haven County.  No ash trees or firewood may be moved in or out of New Haven County without a permit from the CT Agricultural Experiment Station.  This applies to all nurseries, garden centers, and landscape professionals.  However, ash trees and firewood may be moved freely from town to town within New Haven County without a permit.  To learn more about the quarantine and the overall situation, click here.   

ANLA/OFA Merger  

At their July meeting, the ANLA board of directors voted to explore the joint formation of a new trade association with OFA - The Association of Horticulture Professionals.  The timeline is to have a new organization established no sooner than July 2013 and no later than January 2014.   

Reduced Number of Bats Leave Growers with One Less Tool for Natural Pest Control 

The loss of millions of bats since 2006 comes with a price tag. These incredibly efficient insect predators provide natural pest control, and their decline affects us all. The source of the decline is White-nose Syndrome (WNS).  WNS affects hibernating bats, sometimes killing over 90% of a cave's bat population. WNS has been identified in bats in 19 states and four Canadian provinces.  To learn more, click here.