Anyone in volcano see the guava infected yet?

[kalakoa]

quote:

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Originally posted by unknownjulie

It's not illogical. I do not believe my 2 acres of guava constitutes some kind of "public menace" but I might view it differently if I was a large land owner. I might feel more public responsibility.

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Given that waiwi doesn't stop at the (imaginary) lines that designate "your" two acres, have you asked your neighbors how they feel about waiwi invading their lots?

[MarkP]

I feel that it is the responsibility of each of us not to harbor invasive species and not to stand in the way of solutions to such problems. In the case of the guava and its native control I feel that repeating the thoroughly discredited objections is like shouting "fire" in a crowded theater. It is essential that you fully understand the crop of ideas that Syd "I turned my property into a coqui frog sanctuary" Singer has sown before you get into bed with him. If you do get into bed with him you will have a lot of company but it won't be the likes of the vast majority of intelligent hard working professionals in the field of biology and forestry. It will mostly be people who have whipped themselves into a frenzy of righteous indignation but who are strangely untroubled by facts.

I for one eagerly look forward to the day I see this stuff on my trees. If I want to promote fruiting I'll treat for the bugs, otherwise I'll keep cutting them down.

[unknownjulie]

I dont know anything about Singer. I read the stuff about the gall and saw the photos of it on trees from Brazil. OF course, if my trees spread to another lot next door, that was either perfectly manicured with nonnative plants, or alternately, was completely virgin forest with zero guava- then I would eradicate the guava off of their lot if they wanted me to. I like the fruit and plan on eating it, or feeding it to livestock!

[Carey]

I try to calmly remind myself & others that we all came here with the ideas that everything can be done just so...
AND I have volunteered on many crews, including guava clearing crews, and gone to many meeting, including the guava meetings. For someone new to this, the answers may be simple....which is why I call for those of you that have not done so,
VOLUNTEER IN A GUAVA CLEARING IN A HEAVILY INFESTED AREA.... this way you will KNOW what you are referring to...

Before any biocontrol was looked at, physical control was used, USING the YCC....and there were some very unintended consequences, including:
trampling the native undergrowth
introduction of invasive seed on work clothes, boots & equipment
injury to youth, esp ankle & leg injuries
displacement of native wildlife when work crew is in area (sometime a VERY detrimental side effect, esp for nesting birds

along with the very slow nature of hand clearing, as some of the newer members find out as they are here, you start with dreams of doing everything by hand, and the reality is that even 2 acres is not easy, and you hire machines to do the work you wanted to do by hand... at increased disturbance to the native nesting wildlife, which if you are in the lower elevations, is not a big deal...where this is being tested, it is the LAST NATIVE RESERVE for some of these species...

And though I love 'Google' it is not a scientific search, as Search Engine Optimization is done by many to get THEIR particular message up at the top of searches (it is always interesting to note who is near the top of searches)....and many of us do not wade down through the literature to do an exhaustive search...

The limited images of infestation from Brazil show leaves with gall, not forests of desecration...and even the scientific literature from Brazil indicated that this gall will cause leaf lose of vigor in LEAVES effected by gall, so the gall will effect the tree only at leaf level...slowing the tree growth, but no literature I have found states that it will do more...PLEASE if you have scientific literature that states otherwise...share....

[PaulW]

Hi Julie, do you remember which words you searched on before clicking on Images?
I would like to see these pictures.

[unknownjulie]

I think it was something like tetracocus or whatever the scientific name of the bug is. Then I clicked on "images". It was just yellowish discolored leaves. Maybe the guava will look different here- since afterall we arent Brazil, but I personally didnt like the look of it.

[unknownjulie]

The best picture actually is of a tree in Brazil posted on the MauiInvasive" website.

[Carey]

If this is the picture, PLEASE read the full article....What I have heard on the effects of a heavy infestation is also stated here in this article:
http://mauiinvasive.org/2011/09/

and again, you can & should maintain your trees to make sure that your fruit is not infected by more unpleasant things like fruit fly eggs & maggots, and minimal care for those will also rake care of any scale that may ever appear on YOUR fruit trees...a slight bother? sure, but something you would need to do even without the scale for your fruit consumption...

Luckily also a fairly easy thing to do, with the added benefit that this little action on your part may help preserve the remaining up-slope conservation plants

[Hanley]

great article