[Title Slide] Agriculture in Logan County, Lance Kirkpatrick Extension Agent – Agriculture.

[Lance Kirkpatrick] Falls arrival means cooler temperatures and more yard work. Hello, I’m Lance Kirkpatrick, Extension Agent – Agriculture, Logan County.

Today I’m going to be discussing one of the more interesting pests homeowners may encounter while outside working in the yard or enjoying the great fall weather.

[Picture from Conway of a tree with twigs on the ground] One of the common questions I receive this time of year involves the accumulation of branches and twigs in the yard. The twigs first start falling late in the summer but are usually noticed more in the early fall. Many contribute this phenomenon to strong winds or storms but it is most likely caused by a member of the Longedhorned beetle family known as the Twig Girdler. [Picture of a Twig Girdler]

[Pictures showing damage caused by a Twig Girdler] This pest is appropriately named, the Twig Girdler for the females’ ability to neatly trim or girdle branches about the size of a pencil. [Diagram showing a branch with smooth cut and the bark ragged in the center] The female beetle chews or girdles the outside of the twig until it is almost separated from the tree. [Picture of a tree branch with notches] She then gnaws small notches in the dying part of the twig to lay her eggs. Eventually the twig falls to the ground which is usually the first time you notice you have the beetle. [Picture of twigs on the ground] It is also important to note that the female girdles the twig to ensure that eggs and larvae survive as they can not fully develop in green twigs and high moisture. [Close-up picture of twigs]

[Picture of an adult Twig Girdler] The Adult Twig Girdler is about 5/8 in. long and is gray and brown in color with very long antennae. [Picture of an adult Twig Girdler on a twig]  The body is covered with short hairs. [Diagram showing the life cycle] A Twig Girdler requires a full year and four stages to complete a life cycle. [Pictures of an egg, larvae, and pupae] Egg, larvae, pupae and adult cycles remain in the old girdled twigs until early September when the adult chews out of the old twigs and moves to a live host tree thus beginning a new life cycle. [Picture of damaged twigs and a pupae in a twig]

Twig Girdlers usually attack Pecan, Hickory, and Oak trees but can also attack other ornamental trees. [Picture of planted young trees] Damage is usually minimal and is more of a nuisance than anything. [Picture of fallen twigs on the ground] On rare occasions, young trees may be severely damaged if infestations are extremely high. [Picture of a damaged tree with broken branches]

Insecticides are rarely justified or practical. [Picture of a commercial truck and a man spraying insecticide on a tree] Homeowners concerned about twig girdler damage to their trees should gather and destroy the fallen branches as this will break their life cycle. [Pictures of twigs on the ground, close-up of damaged twigs, and a man cleaning up twigs] Keep in mind this practice may need to be repeated for a few years to gain effective control.