Monday, February 23, 2009
Snow !
Mountain Lake received 2.5 - 4 inches of snow yesterday. It is quite windy up here so it has drifted in places leaving some surfaces sparse and others abundant with snow.Most of the trails have a sufficient surface for XC-skiing. If you plan on coming up, please park in our new trail access lot located 1 mile past the hotel entrance on the right. The parking fee is $3.00 per vehicle. If you have any questions about our trails, feel free to call at 540-626-7121 x444. Have fun and dress warm!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Releasing of the 'Laricobius nigrinus' beetles
Today we released the 'Laricobius nigrinus' beetles to help battle the woolly adelgid that is killing our Eastern Hemlocks. Tom McAvoy and Ryan Mays from the VT Entomology Department work year-round with Mountain Lake to monitor and treat our hemlocks.
An untreated hemlock affected by the woolly adelgid.
Tom explaining the life cycles of the beetle.
Ryan placing the beetles on the hemlock tree. The beetles are a natural predator of the Woolly Adelgid and are native to the Pacific Northwest. The beetles will feed on the HWA eggs in the spring, then spend their summer in the soil. Then they will begin to pupate and their offspring will become active in the following fall.
Jar of beetles - Hundreds of releases of this species have been made from Maine to Georgia to help control the HWA.
The lab takes care of more than 40,000 beetles! The beetles live on these hemlock branches that are covered with HWA and are kept in the lab until they are released. Today we used paint brushes to gently place the beetles from their branch to the hemlock branches at Mountain Lake.
Click here to learn more about the beetle's life cycles
An untreated hemlock affected by the woolly adelgid.
Tom explaining the life cycles of the beetle.
Ryan placing the beetles on the hemlock tree. The beetles are a natural predator of the Woolly Adelgid and are native to the Pacific Northwest. The beetles will feed on the HWA eggs in the spring, then spend their summer in the soil. Then they will begin to pupate and their offspring will become active in the following fall.
Jar of beetles - Hundreds of releases of this species have been made from Maine to Georgia to help control the HWA.
The lab takes care of more than 40,000 beetles! The beetles live on these hemlock branches that are covered with HWA and are kept in the lab until they are released. Today we used paint brushes to gently place the beetles from their branch to the hemlock branches at Mountain Lake.Click here to learn more about the beetle's life cycles
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Fresh Snow blankets Salt Pond Mountain
3 inches of fresh snow blanketed Mountain Lake as I arrived to work this morning. Temperatures currently read 2 degrees! Great day for a winter hike and in some places, cross-country skiing! Whenever we receive new snowfall, I will be sure to update the conditions on this blog. Feel free to give us a ring to check things out before you drive up.
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