Big isn't so bad
Thursday, September 25, 2003
By MATTHEW RALPH
Staff Writer
MILLVILLE -- The large wasps that bore holes through a tree on Carmel Road most likely did not cause the 40-foot tree to fall, an agriculture agent at
Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County said Wednesday.
The wasps do not pose a health risk to humans, but are still capable of leaving a painful sting, he said.
Though he is waiting on confirmation from an entomologist that a sample brought into the extension office by Janet Hanson is in fact an ichneumon or
parasitic wasp, Extension Department Head James Johnson said he believes the wasps appear to be members of the ichneumon.
"There are a thousand or more types of ichneumon wasps, so we brought the sample to an entomologist in order to identify specifically what type it
is," Johnson said.
"They are more of a nuisance than they are a problem," Johnson said.
Hanson first noticed the wasps after the tree on her Carmel Road property fell. She was immediately concerned when she spotted the wasps because of
their size.
"They are scary," she said. "I've never seen anything like them and I'm concerned with my grandchildren going near them. I'm also concerned
about what they might do to the other trees on my property."
Hanson made several phone calls to local agencies Tuesday but was unable to find immediate answers to her questions.
The only advice given to her was to spray, but she held off on acting before knowing what it was she was dealing with.
Turns out, she did the right thing.
"We always recommend to find out what the problem is before you go out and start spraying," Johnson said, noting that if the wasps are indeed
parasitic or beneficial insects as they are also called, spraying will not be recommended.
"They won't be around for very long," he said. "They don't live that long as adults."
Wasps like this are fairly common in the region, but usually don't grow to the size of those Hanson discovered in her yard, Johnson said.
The sample taken to Johnson Wednesday had a body more than an inch long and was close to five inches long when including the antennae and long
ovipositor.
The ovipositors are used to penetrate wood and lay the eggs, which then feed on a host insect.
Though the long ovipositors leave deep borings in the trees, Johnson said the wasps did not cause the tree to fall.
"I don't believe in this case the wasps had anything to do with this tree falling down." he said.
Still, Hanson is puzzled how a tree she said was flourishing in July suddenly died and is now the victim of stormy weather.
"The tree was fine in July," she said. "I really never even thought to notice that the tree was bare because I haven't mowed the grass in a
while."
