On the other side of Hollands Lane from the goat farm of yesterday, I found this insect trap attached to a large oak tree. I hope someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the only insect the Department of Agriculture would be looking for is the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter. The small, leaf-hopping insect seems to have come as far north as Mendocino county by traveling on horticultural supply plants shipped from its native territory. The problem is that it carries a bacteria that kills grapevines. Wine grapes are a huge part of the legal agricultural economy in Mendocino, and many jobs and dollars are at stake. By taking small samples like this, the scientists can get an idea of the types of insects they have in the area, and whether or not they should worry.
11 comments:
I can't help you with bug info, but I certainly hope that it's not what you fear!
Elaine, I hope this isn't true.
(And how do you KNOW about this?)
Thank you both for keeping your fingers crossed. Everybody that reads the area newspapers got a pretty thorough education about these guys a couple of years ago. The same with West Nile Virus and Sudden Oak Death. They try to put some public education out there to help support their investigations.
Another one?! Really Elaine, do you just like take the camera, go out, and ask God to give you a sign?
Oh no, not more bad news. I hope they don't find that glassy-winged grape killer there.
Don't second guess, Elaine. Find out from someone in the know what this might be about. Let's think positive! Great photo.
The only more-organized sap I've ever seen was my dad.
Re: symmetry—I posted a kind-of-long reply at Victoria Daily Photo, q.v.
Dina - My quest for enlightenment comes with its liabilities.
Hilda - And that may be hope well placed. We don't have commercial vineyards in Little Lake Valley, so I suspect this is just scientific vigilance at work.
Amy - I should make a phone call, I suppose. But as I suggested above, it would make sense for the scientists to just keep monitoring everywhere after the sharp-shooter captures of a few years ago, to be prudent. Traps like this do nothing to suppress insects - they just gather a tiny dab of information. If there was any eradication efforts going on, I'm sure we would have heard about it many times. BTW, thanks for stopping by. 8^)
Bernie - I'll bet you say that every morning to your breakfast pancakes.
Don't feel gloomy. I have it on the best authority that everything is going to work out OK in the end.
"Louis" joins you in hoping that insect doesn't bring havoc to the legitimate economy of the county. Keep us advised, Elaine.
We have a lot of these little green sample traps in Seattle, too, but primary quarry is the gypsy moth, I think.
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