Tag Archives: insects

Don’t Move Firewood

Westchester county offers so many beautiful outdoor activities and attractions, especially during the fall time!  Whether you are hitting the trails and camping, or enjoying a late-summer fire in the backyard, it’s important that you use firewood from the area.  Moving firewood is more dangerous to your local eco-system than you think; here’s why you shouldn’t move firewood.

Firewood Westchester Tree Life 4

Don’t Move Firewood!  Here’s Why:

Did you know that tree-threatening pests and diseases can lurk in firewood?  Though these insects and diseases are limited to how far they can travel on their own, the moving of firewood can transmit them to other forests and properties.  By using firewood from the immediate area, you are limiting what pests and diseases are being spread.  View the list of pests that could be spread from the moving of firewood.

If You Are Camping . . .

Firewood Westchester Tree Life 5

 

A safe camping trip extends beyond bringing mosquito repellent and hiking gear!  Refrain from bringing firewood with you on your camping trip, hunting trip or RV adventure this fall.  This works both ways, as bringing firewood home from your campsite can be just as harmful.  Instead of bringing firewood with you, buy it where you will burn it!  Learn more from Don’t Move Firewood here.

Don't Move Firewood

How Far Is Too Far to Move Firewood

Firewood Westchester Tree Life 2

Firewood should not be moved more than 50 miles maximum; ideally finding firewood to burn within ten miles of where you plan to burn it is the key.  If you are unsure as to whether you are transporting your firewood too far, stop; don’t risk the spreading of possible pests and diseases!  Instead, try to purchase your firewood in from a local source.  Here are more tips as to what you can do to stop the transportation of firewood.

Firewood Westchester Tree Life 3

 

Cicadas Arrive in Westchester County

The sound of summer is coming back!  Summer 2016 is going to be the first time in 17 years that cicadas arrive in Westchester County, New York and the rest of the Northeast.  Though these creepy crawlers are alarming-looking up close, they pose no direct threat to humans.  Here are some fun facts about cicadas.

Cicadas Westchester Tree Life

via themarysue.com

Cicadas:  FAQ

A cicada’s mating call can be alarming, especially when amplified from a large quantity.  The cicadas which will emerge this summer are of the genus Magicicada; these bugs are limited to North America’s eastern region, and have many mysteries surrounding their life cycle.

Cicadas Summer 2016 Westchester Tree Life

via dailymail.co.uk

Due to their similar appearance and overwhelming quantities, cicadas are often mistaken for locusts, which they are not related to.  You can differentiate between the two by taking a glance at the insect’s legs!  This graphic from Buzzle shows that while cicadas have short legs and long wings, locusts have short wings but distinctly long legs, which are built for jumping!

Locusts Cicadas Westchester Tree Life

via buzzle.com

Despite their alien-like appearance, cicadas are not harmful to humans, and do not bite or sting, and don’t carry diseases. Cicadas are herbivores whose main goal is to mate and lay eggs!

Female Cicada Laying Eggs

A female cicada lays eggs.

The only threat cicadas pose is to trees.  After the mating ritual is complete, female cicadas excavate a series of Y-shaped “eggnests” in living twigs before laying up to twenty eggs in each nest.  One female cicada can lay as many as 600 eggs!

Mating Rituals

Cicada Westchester Tree Life Tree Care New York

Taken in May of 2004, in Severn, Maryland

When deciphering a female cicada from a male cicada, be sure to look at the size.  Male cicadas are larger, and if you were to view the underbelly of a male and female cicada side by side, you would see this:

Female Cicadas Male Cicadas Westchester Tree Life

Cicadas emerge from the ground during their final molt.  During this time they amass in large groups to sing their mating song, which can be compared to a buzzing or whirring noise.  These loud mating calls, or aggregations can reach up to 100 decibels.

Cicadas Mating Westchester Tree Life

Two cicadas mating after a mating call proves successful.

Interested in more about the Magicicada?  Click here!