To the editor:
Have you ever noticed the rise in cost of produce, or the shortage of fruit? This is partly because the issue of invasive insects is being ignored. People in the Wellesley community need to pay more attention to invasive insects in our area. They are causing many problems, yet there are solutions. You can stop these irksome insects with a bit more attention to the problem.
When people aren’t careful, it leads to problems. Invasive insects frequently arrive in our area when people import things, like fruit or firewood. Here are three insects that are causing harm in Wellesley: the emerald ash borer, the spongy moth (formerly known as the Gypsy moth) and the winter moth. The emerald ash borer is mostly harmful to the ash tree, a popular species in Wellesley. “First, the adults eat the outside bark, giving the larvae a way to chew the insides up,” according to the state of Massachusetts on the Current Forest Health Threats page on mass.gov. Once the ash trees die, they fall almost immediately. They can no longer absorb dangerous carbon dioxide from the air and provide oxygen for us to breathe. Loss of trees will impact the air quality in Wellesley, and nobody wants that. Then there is the winter moth, which will eat crops and worse, defoliate forests. Since the winter moth eats crops, food businesses could run out of money. Then people will run out of food. This is a disaster waiting to happen. The final invasive insect is the spongy moth. The spongy moth destroys over 300 types of American plants! After the spongy moth’s arrival, “The shrubs die as fast as a wildfire,” says Lisa Moore, Natural Resources Commission Outreach and Education Coordinator for the Town of Wellesley. The spongy moth can also give you a red rash if you come in contact with one.
It may seem hard, but we can stop these beasts. One way to find out if your ash tree has an emerald ash borer problem is to observe the ash tree. If you notice that it has many woodpeckers marks, it means that the tree may be infected because woodpeckers like to eat emerald ash borers. If you suspect emerald ash borers, make sure to call a pest control service. Another insect that needs to be stopped is the winter moth. Farmers and fruit growers can use horticultural oils to suffocate the larvae eggs. Lastly, we have to stop the spongy moth. One way you can do this is by getting rid of any dead sticks or stumps where spongy moths might breed. In addition, there are different steps you can take during different months of the year such as applying insecticides in May and wrapping a section of the trunk in burlap to catch the caterpillars in June.
It is important for us to take the issue of invasive insects more seriously and consider how they have a big, harmful impact on our environment. It may not seem like too big of a problem at this moment, but that’s what people said about climate change and look where it got us. We know that on some days you are just too tired to go outside and help solve the problem. Keep in mind, these invasive insects can affect anything from your backyard to entire industries. To fix this problem you have to be willing to put in more time and effort. We hope you will help.
Sincerely,
The Invasive Insects Group
Bates School fifth grade
