Two invasive insects — one that can make you sick and another that damages your lilies— are discussed in this month’s WNY Gardening Matters.
The publication is produced by the Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension in Erie County.
Lone star tick
The lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) is a scary tick that is now in New York State, according to Lyn Chimera in this article.
The bite of the lone star tick can trigger a very dangerous syndrome called “alpha-gal allergy” that causes a person to become allergic to not only the meat from mammals, but to all their products as well, including wool, dairy products and gelatin from their hooves.
This tick thrives in a wide range of habitats, from shady forests to sunny lawns or roadsides.
Making matters worse, it is aggressive. The lone star tick hustles toward its prey (such as a human), even across pavement or dry sand.
See the entire article on the lone star tick here.
Help thwart red lily leaf beetle
The red lily leaf beetle damages lilies, but Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County is participating in a project to reduce their impact, explains Larraine Van Slooten in this article.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is using a particular wasp, a natural enemy of the red lily leaf beetle, to try to control the population of the pest.
They’re also looking for help with the project. They need someone with a garden near Delaware Park in Buffalo, who has lilies and is willing to allow the larvae of the red lily leaf beetle to develop on the plants. They would like to examine the larvae to see if the bio-control are working, which would be great news. See more details here.
For more information, contact Sharon Bachman, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, at sin2@cornell.edu.
Conserving water
We’ve had a rainy spring, but summer can be dry. In the third article in this month’s issue, Mary Ann Bald shares tips on conserving water.
Lydia, thanks for that reminder.
Re: lone star ticks
If you are bitten by a tick, please try to keep the tick, see the CDC website for extraction, and look at the following website for directions on sending the tick to the Cornell Cooperative Extension for identification,
http://albany.cce.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-pests/deer-tick, so that if you do become ill, your primary care provider can give the appropriate treatment. My spending $25 for identification turned out to be a lifesaver.