Contributed photo
INSIDE
GMO petition – signed & delivered …………………………………………Page 3
LIFRC fundraiser celebrates literature
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Marathon winner has Lopez roots
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www.islandsweekly.com 360-468-4242 • 800-654-6142
Abbey Road Live! will be playing killer tunes on Lopez, July 3. Read more on page 4
The
Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 25 • June 19, 2012
The truth about tent caterpillars and you By Cali Bagby
Madrona Murphy has lived in the islands for 31 years and this year is the worst tent caterpillar out-
Tues. & Fri. 9–3 Phone: 4748
C rowfoot farm
break she has ever seen. “People keep asking us what to do about them,” said Murphy, a botanist at the Lopez-based laboratory Kwiaht. More specifically, people want to know how to kill them. The western tent caterpillar, with its orange and black markings, is an unpopular visitor on the islands. Periodic caterpillar outbreaks result in defoliation, minor branch dieback, and in some cases, tree mortality, according to the U.S. and Fish and Wildlife
and the adult moths emerge ous, according to Sharon Service. J. Collman, of Washington The peaks or “outbreaks” in seven to 10 days. Murphy said this year State University’s Extension are cyclical, tend to occur every six to 11 years and can some caterpillars hatched Master Gardener Program, last up to four years. These late and may keep eating in her article “Biology and Control of Tent eruptions are generally reg- until July. Caterpillars.” ulated by weather and The bad news is a temperature. “Don’t worry too much. Most single tent may result “After an outbreak 20 percent defoliathe population collapstrees will recover on their own in tion of a small tree. es and there are years this year, even if they look Established trees can in which the caterpilhandle at least 25 perlars are hard to find,” terrible right now.” cent defoliation withMurphy said. -Madrona Murphy out experiencing any This insect, which ill effects, according to is four to five centi“We don’t know if it is due WSU gardener experts, but meters long, gets its name from the “tents” it spins on to changes in the climate, where trees are crowded the tips of branches. Eggs but it looks like the tent or stressed, the defoliation hatch in early spring, and caterpillar season may be could be a life and death then larvae begin feeding. longer this year than nor- matter. Trees suffering from Young tent caterpillars usu- mal,” she added. The good news is that excessive cold, heat, drought ally eat all of the leaves on one branch before moving caterpillars do not transmit or flooding are more at risk on to the next. They spin diseases to humans, do not to be destroyed by tent cattheir cocoons in mid-June, bite, and are not poison- erpillar outbreaks.
Caterpillars may wreak havoc on weak trees, but these pests also have natural enemies – a highly contagious virus and a parasitic fly. The virus passes easily from one caterpillar to the other so when the density of the caterpillars is high it leads to heavy mortality. Imagine someone with meningitis in a mosh pit. The other dangers these caterpillars face is even more insidious. If you see a caterpillar with one or more small white dots on its head those are the eggs of the tachinid fly. “And the larvae eat the caterpillars from the inside out,” said Murphy. “It’s pretty gruesome. And when See Caterpillars, page 8
4th Annual Literary Fundraiser Event The Lopez Island Family Resource Center invites you to join us Saturday, June 30th 6:00PM at the LCCA. We promise you an evening to remember! Featured authors are husband and wife Bruce Barcott and Claire Dederer. Tickets are $35 and available ahead of time at the LIFRC office. Questions? Call the LIFRC (360) 468.4117 or visit www.lifrc.org.