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They Just Adore a Penthouse View

Thu, Sep 5th, 2024, created by Dan Gilrein
‘If you plant it, they will come’ is fine when attracting the right crowd - butterflies, birds or the bees. But where plants are induced to grow in strange places other insects follow: on 7 stories of vertical wall; atop high-rise city offices, apartments or terraces; or in elevated inner city gardens on former railways or reclaimed piers high above water. Among the unwelcome creatures I’ve seen thriving in such environments include sawflies and root aphids on green walls of Lysimachia nummularia, grasshoppers on ornamental grasses growing on high-rise roofs, fall webworms wandering several stories up from trees below, common bagworms attached to park benches and buildings, strawberry rootworm on green roof sedum, oriental beetle grubs damaging roots of rooftop container and landscape plants, scale insects on English ivy embracing high-value retail storefronts, and bronze birch borer attacking birch on trees in an elevated park.  Spotted lanternfly is just the latest one finding new homes on plants wherever they are. These each present new and interesting challenges when ‘greening’ our urban areas and call for creative and novel solutions.  Some arborists, following the example of our Dept. of Agriculture staff, use backpack or shop vacuums to scoop up lanternflies from plants and off sides of buildings. Hand-removal is practical in some situations (bagworms, Japanese beetle), traps (lanternfly), and biological controls (grubs, some aphids) can work for others. Plant selection is of course a first line of defense – take care to avoid using plants prone to problems (river birch rather than European birch), and then follow with good cultural care. Plants in these situations may have a shorter life or replacement schedule that will mitigate the issue, and of course doing nothing, aside from some public education and apologies for the temporary inconvenience, may be enough in some cases.



About the Author:

Dan Gilrein

Entomologist, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County

Dan Gilrein is the Extension Entomologist with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County at the Long Island Horticultural Research and Extension Center, Riverhead, NY since 1995 and previously served there as IPM Specialist with Cornell from 1987. In his current position he conducts applied research on control of arthropod pests in food crops and on ornamental plants, provides diagnostic services to the horticultural industries, and conducts educational programs and presentations for industry, government officials, civic groups and the public on pests and pest management.

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