January 15, 2021
MAA Members,

Happy New Year! As I am sure many of you are, I'm glad to have 2020 behind us and am hopeful for a better year to come.

The Board of Directors continues to be optimistic in planning for our 40th Annual Safety and Recertification Seminar. The event has been postponed to May 11, 2021. At this time, it will be open to a limited number of in-person attendees at the Turf Valley Resort and Conference Center. We will continue to make adjustments as necessary as we get closer to the date. Keep checking your inbox and our website for updates.

With the start of the New Year, I would to express our gratitude to our Annual Sponsors who have signed on for another year: Altec, Chesapeake Employer's Insurance Company, Moran Insurance, Security Equipment Company, Vermeer All Roads, and First National Bank. I encourage you to follow their links below to learn more about these companies who have provided their generous support for our organization.

Stay Safe and Healthy!

Danielle Bauer Farace
Executive Director
Being a Maryland Arborist Association Member provides a number of benefits to you and your business.
Benefits include discounted event registration, educational resources, and up-to-date news and information.
THANK YOU TO OUR WHITE OAK SPONSORS:
Sugar Maple Sponsor:
DNR Reminds Marylanders to Hire Licensed Tree Experts
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently launched a press campaign to educate the public regarding unlicensed tree care workers. The press release encourages homeowners to ensure that tree work on their property is legal, safe, and insured.

You can view the full release here, or share the release with your followers on Facebook by clicking here.
Periodical Cicada in 2021
The following was provided by Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in IPM and Entomology, CMREC, University of Maryland Extension and Professor, Montgomery College, Landscape Technology Program:

Covid-19 and Politics have been dominating the news lately. A noisy surprise is coming this spring/summer of 2021. The periodical cicada, which emerged back in 2004 - Brood-X, will be back full force this spring. In June of 2020 we had several reports of out-layer Brood X periodical cicadas showing up in Prince George's, Anne Arundel and Montgomery County. We wrote up a nice report on this in the IPM alert. These early emergers were just the precursor of what is to come.

We asked my technician, Suzanne Klick, to dig back in our IPM Alert files to 2004 and see what people were reporting the females were ovipositing into that year. Here is what was reported:


For 2021 expect it to get very noisy when the males start their mating calls in June. Newly planted trees can be protected with netting for 4 - 6 weeks while the cicada are active. On the bigger tree, live with the rather minor damage . It is not really worth trying to spray and protect large trees.
Egg Mass Scraping: Why it Remains a Necessary Part of the Battle Against Spotted Lanternfly
photo credit: Penn State
The following was provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture:

Winter has arrived and the last of the adult spotted lanternfly have died off for the winter, but their egg masses remain, waiting for warm, spring days to hatch. Between now and then, it’s time to get into our yards, inspecting trees, vehicles, patio furniture and other outdoor items for the telltale streaks of grey that are the egg masses.
 
But a question often comes to mind: does scraping an egg mass do any good? While squishing one bug or scraping one egg mass might not seem like a lot, it’s good to remember that each egg mass contains 30 to 50 new lanternflies, each ready to hatch and wreak havoc the coming year.
 
Consider if you didn’t scrape that one egg mass: On average, 40 new lanternflies will hatch the following year. Assuming an even split of males and females, the females will produce 2 egg masses each for a total of 40 new egg masses or 1,600 lanternflies in the second spring. That second generation will lay 1,600 egg masses producing 64,000 lanternflies in the 3rd season. By the fifth season, more than 102 million - 102,000,000 - lanternflies have hatched!
 
With that in mind, consider what would happen if there were an egg mass on the camper that you store in another county, or the patio furniture you decided to sell to someone in another state, or on the goods manufactured and distributed by your business. Not only would the pest be introduced to a new area, but in a short amount of time that new area would be overwhelmed with lanternfly. That is why it is so important to inspect any item you plan to move beyond your property line – to protect your community and others, the nearby orchards and vineyards, Christmas tree growers, hardwood producers, and the peace of mind of those who buy Pennsylvania products.
New LTE's - Congratulations!
Micheaux Brandav
Charles Burton
Christian Dohne
Hugo Garcia
Nathan Girot
Clayton Harmon
Zachary Lease
Wilber Maldonado Majano
Jesse Novoa
Walter Oliva-Martinez
Robin Rynn
Kevin Schroeder
Curtis West
For up-to-date information on upcoming exams, click here.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Equipment shall be fueled only:
              A: when the engine has been shut down
              B: from approved containers
              C: at least 10 ft from ay operating equipment
              D: in shaded areas only to keep gas vapors to a minimum
              E: All the above
              F: A, B, C
              G: None of the above

(Clue – see ANSI Z133 Sect 3.6.2)
Safety While Refueling Vehicles and Equipment
The following precautions on refueling are provided by OSHA:

  • NO SMOKING! (Duh). The burning cigarette can ignite flammable vapors that are emitted from the liquid fuel, causing a flash fire or explosion to occur. Also make certain there are no other potential sources of ignition, such as open flames or spark-producing equipment operating in the area, as they too can ignite a fire or explosion.

  • Only use safety cans or other approved portable fuel containers, such as those marked as D.O.T. approved for transporting and transferring fuels, to refuel vehicles and equipment. Unapproved containers can easily leak, spill fuel, or even rupture, leading to a potentially dangerous situation.

  • Always kill the engine of the vehicle or equipment before you refuel. Also, be certain to let portable equipment such as lawn mowers, generators, chain saws, blowers, trimmers, or anything else with a fuel-powered engine cool down before you add fuel to the tank. Spilling liquid fuel on a hot motor instantly creates a cloud of highly flammable vapor, which can easily catch fire or explode.

  • Before dispensing fuel into your car or truck, be sure to touch a metal part away from the fuel tank on your vehicle or equipment with your bare hand. This helps dissipate any static build-up on your body created when you slid out of your vehicle. Also, touch the gas dispenser nozzle or hose to the fill tube on the gas tank before you start to add fuel to the tank, and keep it in contact throughout the entire refueling process. This step helps prevent hazardous static electricity from building up and causing a spark in the vapor area as you refuel.

  • Never dispense fuel into a can or other portable container while it is sitting in your vehicle truck or truck bed. Doing so allows hazardous static electricity to build up. Instead, sit the container on the ground and then add the fuel.
The Professional Grounds Management Society (PGMS) - DC Branch, The Northern Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association, and Virginia Cooperative Extension will hold a virtual pesticide recertification on Friday, January 29, 2021. The seminar is approved for Virginia, Maryland, and DC Pesticide Applicator credits, as well as ISA Certified Arborist and MD LTE CEUs.
This conference, hosted by University of Maryland Extension, is for Commercial Pesticide Applicators, Landscape Contractors, Arborists, and Professional Fertilizer Applicators to get education credits for renewing their Pesticide Applicators license. The virtual conference will be held on February 9, 2021. Credits for MD, DE, VA, and DC will be available.
Chessie 2021 will be held in a new online format this year! The dates are February 15-19, 2021 and will feature one or two sessions each day, starting at 12:00 pm and wrapping up by 2:00 pm each day. Maryland pesticide recertification as well as nutrient management will be offered. More information coming soon.
The Frederick Area Landscape Contractors and Nurserymen's Association will hold a virtual Pesticide Recertification Conference on March 12, 2021.When available, schedule and registration information will be posted on their website.