Wild parsnip

by Roland D. Hallee

A reader wrote last week how she had been trying for a couple of years to identify a tall yellow-flowered roadside weed until someone told her it was wild parsnip. Unable to find much information about it, she turned to this column.

Wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, is among the rapidly increasing weeds in many areas. As wild parsnip has spread, so has the realization that human exposure often leads to serious burns and blisters on the arms and legs. Being able to readily identify wild parsnip and early detection of infested areas will minimize inadvertent and excessive exposure to this plant and the often painful results that follow.

The species is native to Eurasia, and may have been introduced as a vegetable as plants have long, thick, white to yellowish taproots that are edible. True parsnip plants have larger roots than wild parsnip. The entire plant has a parsnip odor. Cattle will not eat wild parsnip but deer may feed on it, and birds and small mammals eat the seeds.

The plants are most abundant in sites dominated by perennial grasses that are mowed once or twice a year.

Why the explosion of wild parsnip? Only Mother Nature knows for sure. Birds and mammals eat the seeds and they may be spreading the problem from site to site. There is no doubt that the delay in mowing roadsides until mid summer as an official roadside management policy of the state and towns opens the door for this plant to complete its life cycle, and produce ripe seeds well before any mowing is done. Wild parsnip is tolerant of a wide range of conditions, including dry and wet areas. It is shade tolerant, but prefers sunny conditions. Depending on the habitat and growing conditions, individual flowering plants range to over four feet in height.

Also, when roadsides and pastures are mowed in July and August, parsnip seeds probably move as hitchhikers on the mowers. Mowing also creates a much more favorable environment for parsnip seeds to germinate than if the sites were left undisturbed. Relatively mild winters may enhance survival of wild parsnip plants that germinate and become established in the fall.

Wild parsnip has a long germination period, but the optimum time for germination is in the early spring, and that is when most germination occurs. Most fall germinated seedlings die during winter. Wild parsnip seedlings are among the first plants to “greenup” early in the spring.

Rosettes grow close to the ground and bear leaves averaging six inches in height. Flowering plants produce a single, thick stem that contains hundreds of yellow umbellate flowers. The lateral flowers often overtop the terminal flowers.

But, the most important thing for humans to remember is to avoid contact with the plant. Humans develop a severe skin irritation from contact with its leaves. Plants have chemicals called psoralens that cause an interaction between plant and light that induce skin inflammation.

Experts are warning people to stay away from wild parsnip after a Vermont woman was severely burned after being exposed to the sap.

The plant grows along rural roads and in meadows throughout the state. Wild parsnip is not native to Maine and has a deep vertical ridge on its stalk. The flowers come in clusters of tiny yellow flowers similar to Queen Anne’s Lace.

A woman in Vermont fell into a wild parsnip plant and suffered horrific burns after her legs were exposed to the sap and she spent time in the sun.

“It is soluble,” said Maine State Horticulturist Gary Fish. “It goes into the skin and that’s when you are going to have damage to the skin which turns into blisters when you have sun exposure.”

People walking through vegetation should wear long sleeves and pants and stay away from plants that look like wild parsnips.

Wild parsnip has sap that has psoralens in it — naturally occurring organic compounds that can kill skin cells that protect people from ultraviolet radiation. When the sap touches the body, it can cause blisters and symptoms resembling symptoms from a burn.

Once the sap is absorbed by the skin, they are energized by UV light on both sunny and cloudy days. They then bind to DNA and cell membranes, destroying cells and skin. Parsnip burns usually occur in streaks and elongated spots, reflecting where a damaged leaf or stem moved across the skin before exposure to sunlight.

Wild parsnip burns differ from the rash caused by poison ivy in several aspects. First, everyone is sensitive to wild parsnip and you do not need to be sensitized by a prior exposure to develop burns or blisters. You can brush against wild parsnip plants and not be affected. Parsnip is dangerous only when the plant sap from broken leaves or stems gets on your skin. Lastly, the parsnip “burn” is usually less irritating than poison ivy’s “itch.”

After about 3 days, the symptoms start to get better. Eventually, like after a bad sunburn, the burned skin cells die and flake off. As symptoms improve, the rash may appear lighter or darker. Discoloration and sensitivity to sunlight in the affected areas can remain for up to two years.

Wild parsnip grows abundantly on our roadsides. Some people mistake it as ragweed, and rightfully so. There is, however, many dissimilarities once you see them side by side.

If you develop a rash or blisters, go to the hospital or a clinic for treatment.

There are other plants in the family that can be harmful as well: Cow Parsnip, a native plant, with white flowers; Giant Hogweed, an invasive species, with white flowers similar to cow parsnip.

When it comes to wild parsnip, unless you are absolutely sure it is something else, don’t touch it.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

In 1975, the Red Sox played the Cincinnati Reds in what is called the “Greatest World Series ever.” Who hit an eighth inning three-run homer in game 6 to tie the score, and set up Carlton Fisk’s 12th inning iconic home run?

Answer can be found here.

the common grackle

by Roland D. Hallee

They swarm down from the heavens in flocks and take over the ground. They stay for a while, and then all leave together, like someone giving an order to evacuate the location. They are also a nuisance if you have a garden.

The common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula, is a large member of a species of birds that are often colorful and found in large numbers through much of North America. Most species have black as a predominant plumage color.

Adult common grackles have a long and dark bill, pale yellow eyes, and a long tail. Adults often have an iridescent appearance on their head, especially males. Common grackles are found in much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains.

The common grackle was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of Systema Naturae.

Adult common grackles measure from 11 to 13 inches in length, span 14 – 18 inches across the wings, and weigh 2.6 – 5 ounces. Common grackles are less sexually dimorphic than larger grackle species, but the differences between the sexes can still be noticeable. The male, which averages 4.3 ounces, is larger than the female, at an average of 3.3 ounces. Adults have a long, dark bill, pale yellowish eyes, and a long tail; their feathers appear black with purple, green, or blue iridescence on the head, and primarily bronze sheen in the body plumage. Adult females, beyond being smaller, are usually less iridescent; their tails in particular are shorter, and unlike the males, do not keel in flight and are brown with no purple or blue gloss. Juveniles are brown with dark brown eyes.

When grackles are in a group, they are referred to as a “plague.”

The breeding habitat is open and semi open areas across North America east of the Rocky Mountains. The nest is a well-concealed cup in dense trees (particularly pine) or shrubs, usually near water; sometimes, the common grackle nests in cavities or in man-made structures. It often nests in colonies, some being quite large. Bird houses are also a suitable nesting site. Four to seven eggs are in a clutch.

This bird is a permanent resident in much of its range. Northern birds migrate in flocks to the Southeastern United States. The distribution of the common grackle is largely explained by annual mean temperature, and the species has expanded its range by greater than three-fold since the last glacial maximum, approximately 22,000 years ago.

The common grackle forages on the ground, in shallow water, or in shrubs; it may steal food from other birds. It is omnivorous, eating insects, minnows, frogs, eggs, berries, seeds, grain, and even small birds and mice. Grackles at outdoor eating areas often wait eagerly until an unwary bird drops some food. They rush forward and try to grab it, often snatching food out of the beak of another bird. Grackles prefer to eat from the ground at bird feeders, making scattered seed an excellent choice of food for them. Grackles can be regularly seen foraging for insects, especially after a lawn trimming.

Grackles have a unique adaptation within their bill which allows them to crack and cut hard nuts or kernels. The keel projects downward from the horny palate and is sharper and more abrupt anterior. It extends below the level of the tomium, the sharp cutting edge of the beak of a bird or turtle, and is used in a sawing motion to score open acorns or dried kernels. Large adductor muscle within their jaw makes this even more useful for opening hard seeds and acorns.

Along with some other species of grackles, the common grackle is known to practice “anting”, rubbing insects on its feathers possibly to apply liquids such as formic acid secreted by the insects.

The grackle’s song is particularly harsh, especially when these birds, in a flock, are calling. The songs occasionally sound like a power line buzzing. The grackle can also mimic the sounds of other birds or even humans, though not as precisely as the mockingbird, which is known to share its habitat in the Southeastern United States.

In the breeding season, males tip their heads back and fluff up feathers to display and keep other males away. This same behavior is used as a defensive posture to attempt to intimidate predators. Male common grackles are less aggressive toward one another, and more cooperative and social, than the larger boat-tailed grackle species.

The range of this bird expanded west as forests were cleared. In some areas, it is now considered a pest by farmers because of its large numbers and fondness for grain. Despite a currently robust population, a recent study by the National Audubon Society of data from the Christmas Bird Count indicated that populations had declined by 61 percent to a population of 73 million from historic highs of over 190 million birds.

Unlike many birds, the common grackle benefits from the expansion of human populations due to its resourceful and opportunistic nature. Common grackles are considered a serious threat to crops by some, and are notoriously difficult to exterminate; this usually requires the use of hawks or similar large birds of prey.

Though the exact mechanism is poorly understood, several studies have examined the ability of the common grackle to interpret the Earth’s magnetic field – or in this case, the variability of it. The common grackle has been found to exhibit a scientifically significant attunation with a dynamic magnetic field.

Whether this is of any significance to mankind, they don’t know. But I do know that when they arrive, it’s as if they are attracted to each other like magnets.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What is the mascot of the new NHL franchise in Seattle?

Answer can be found here.

by Roland D. Hallee

I have an idea: let’s play a game! Everybody likes a game. We’ll call it – get a load of this ingenious title – Fact or Fiction!

Many of us have pets, and we also like to watch animals. Let’s ask some questions and see if you can tell if it is fact or fiction.

Here are the questions. The answers follow:

• Bats are blind.
• Some bees sting only once.
• An owl is a wise bird
• A turtle can walk out of its shell.
• Crickets tell the temperature with their chirps.
• Goats eat almost anything.
• Bulls get angry when they see red.
• Camels store water in their humps.
• Rats desert a sinking ship.

Here are the answers:

• Bats are Blind: Fiction – In the night sky, they seem to be blind. They fly back and forth in odd ways. Bats use their ears as well as their eyes to find their way at night, flying in different patterns as they gather insects in flight. They emit high-pitched sounds that echo back to them from objects, similar to radar.
• Some bees sting only once: Fact – many kinds of bees can sting only once. A honeybee’s stinger has barbs on it and when they catch, they hold fast. The stinger breaks off and stays behind. The bee will die after losing its stinger. Queens, however, can sting multiple times. Its stinger has no barbs. Male bees, called drones, have no stinger and cannot sting at all.
• An owl is a wise bird: Fiction – Some people think owls look wise because of their eyes. But for a bird its size, the owl has a tiny brain. An owl never moves its eyes to look for prey, but, instead, moves its whole head from side to side.
• A turtle can walk out of its shell: Fiction – When people find an empty turtle shell on the ground, they may think a turtle left it behind and moved into a new one. A turtle can no more walk out of its shell than you can walk away from your ribs. The empty shells you may find on the ground are the remains of turtles that have died.
• Crickets tell the temperature with their chirps… Fact – Crickets are animals whose body temperatures change with the temperature around them. On a hot day, crickets chirp so rapidly that it is hard to count the number of chirps. But on a cool day, crickets chirp much more slowly. You can easily count the times they chirp.
• Dogs talk with their tails: Fact – When a dog wags its tail from side to side, the dog is happy and playful. But when a dog wags its tail up and down, it may be because it has done something wrong and expects to be punished. If a dog keeps its tail straight up, be careful, that is the signal that it may attack. Don’t run, just back away slowly.
• Goats will eat almost anything: Fact – Goats will eat almost anything they can find. They have been accused of eating tin cans. But they are not really eating the metal; they are chewing the label to get at the glue underneath. They will eat string and paper, but would rather eat fruit, vegetables, grass and leaves of plants.
• Bulls get angry when they see red: Fiction – A bullfighter waves a red cape before a charging bull. There are many stories which tell us that bulls become angry when they see red. The trouble with these stories is that bulls are color blind. It’s the motion of an object in front of it that angers a bull. Bulls will get angry if you wave anything in front of them.
• Camels store water in their humps: Fiction – Camels store fat in the humps. The stored fat is used for energy when the camel doesn’t get enough to eat. But camels can go for days or even weeks without drinking water. Their woolly coats keep out the heat of the direct sunlight. The wool also keeps them from sweating and losing water too rapidly.
• Rats desert a sinking ship: Fact – Rats will jump overboard if a ship is sinking. But that is true of any animal that can swim. Rats sometimes desert a ship even if it isn’t sinking. In the days of sailing ships, it was a common sight to see packs of rats jumping overboard. The ships were slow and would be at sea for months. By the time they returned to port, there was little food left for the rats so when the ship came close to shore, they would dive overboard and swim to land in search of food.

So, how did you do?

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the only three players, who played left field, consecutively, for the same team their entire career, and all are in baseball’s hall of fame. Clue: It was with the Boston Red Sox.

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Left to right: Virginia Ctenucha moth, Rosy Maple moth, Pink striped oakworm moth. (photos by Roland D. Hallee)

by Roland D. Hallee

As my battle with the brown tail moth caterpillars continues, I have seen a variety of other moths emerge over the last week. I was anxious for the brown tail moth caterpillar to turn into a moth so we can cut down on the floating hairs that have been irritating our skin.

While watering my garden on Saturday, I saw a brown tail moth in flight. What a relief to see that.

However, other moths have caught my attention, and here are three of them.

The first one is the Virginia Ctenucha (pronounced ten-oo-chah) … I think.

The Virginia Ctenucha, Ctenucha virginica, is an attractive moth. It is widespread and common and is a member of the Erebidae family which consists of a varied group of striking moths living in woodlands, fields, and gardens, as well as freshwater swamps, marshes, and bogs.

The Virginia Ctenucha is the largest and most broad-winged of wasp moths in North America. Its wingspan is 1-3/8 to 2 inches. This moth has a metallic blue body, which contrasts with the bright orange of its head and the sides of its collar. Its fore wing is a deep grayish brown, with some metallic blue at the base. Its hind-wing is black.

It is endemic to eastern North America, from Newfoundland south to Virginia. According to the University of Alberta, there has been a westward expansion in the last 60 years as it has reached the Canadian rockies and is now found in all Canadian provinces. Larvae feed on a variety of host plants including various grasses, irises, and sedges. Adults drink nectar from flowers including goldenrod.

The adult Virginia Ctenucha flies primarily during the day, but may also come to light at night. Adults feed on nectar at various flowers, such as goldenrod. The larva body surface is black, covered with tufts of cream-colored or black hairs. Caterpillar hosts include grasses, sedges, and irises.

Despite its name, this is a northern moth. The flight period for the Virginia Ctenucha throughout its range is from late spring to late summer, however sighting records suggest that it flies in July. The larva can usually be seen from April to September, but may be found any time of year, since they overwinter.

Another moth I have spotted is the Rosy Maple moth, Dryocampa rubicunda, a small North American moth also known as the great silk moth. It was first described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793. The species is known for its wooly body and pink and yellow coloration, which varies from cream or white to bright pink or yellow. Males have bushier antennae than females, which allow them to sense female pheromones for mating.

As the common name of the species implies, the preferred host trees are maple trees. They can also be found on oak trees. Adult females lay their yellow ovular eggs in groups of 10 to 40 on the underside of maple leaves. The emerging caterpillars, also known as the greenstriped mapleworm, mainly feed on the leaves of their host maple trees, particularly red maple, silver maple, and sugar maple. Since the caterpillars eat the entire leaf blade, in dense populations, caterpillars have been known to defoliate trees, resulting in aesthetic rather than permanent damage. However, like all other Saturniid moths, the adult moths do not eat.

The rosy maple moth is the smallest of the silk moths; males have a wingspan of 1.25 – 1.75 inches).

The rosy maple moth lives across the eastern United States and adjacent regions of Canada. Their northern-most range includes the southern regions of Canada, including Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Their range extends south along the Atlantic coast of North America to Dade County, Florida, and extends west from eastern Texas through Minnesota.

Caterpillars live and feed in groups until the fourth instar when they become solitary. Adult rosy maple moths are mostly solitary besides during mating.

Individual rosy maple moths typically live for about two to nine months. Between hatching and adulthood, the species undergoes five instars. For moths with longer life spans, much of this time is spent as a pupa over the winter months.

The predators of the rosy maple moth and larvae mostly consist of birds including blue jays, black-capped chickadees, and tufted titmice. The bright coloration of the wings may serve as a defense mechanism to trick predators into thinking they are poisonous and not tasty.

Adults become active in the warmer months of the year. In a study the rosy maple moth was found to vary with changes in temperature, with highest counts at the highest temperature. The recent warm weather may have contributed to its early arrival. Their small size, preventing more effective body temperature control, may also contribute to their preference for warm weather. Adult moths are generally nocturnal, preferentially flying throughout the first third of the night.

Finally, the pink-striped oakworm moth, another species of silk moth.

The female’s wings are purplish red with ochre-yellow. They have thin scales and are almost transparent. The male’s wings are purplish brown with a large transparent space in the middle. The female is larger than the male.

The moth can be found across Canada from Nova Scotia to southeastern Manitoba, and in the United States. It lives in deciduous woodlands and suburbs.

The males attract females by buzzing like a bee. Mating occurs during the morning. It is a rapid process. The male and female stay together for the rest of the day and then the female finds a place to lay eggs, usually under oak leaves.

The caterpillars are gray or greenish with dull brownish yellow or rosy stripes. There are scales on each segment and two long spines. The caterpillars pupate for a short time. They feed on the foliage of oak trees, maples, birches, and hazels. The caterpillar overwinters in the soil as a pupa. Caterpillars that are newly hatched or are in the middle of growing, feed in groups while those that are mature or nearly so feed separately. The caterpillar is about an eighth of an inch long. The head is large in proportion to the body. The inside of the mouth is yellow. The legs are semi-translucent.

Conservation regimes are not required for this species. It is considered a pest of forests because it defoliates trees.

These are all moths I have seen around the door to our office at The Town Line.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Which Red Sox player holds the team record for the most Gold Glove Awards with eight?

Answer can be found here.

The Asian Giant Hornet. Notice the long wing span.

by Roland D. Hallee

A couple of weeks ago, while driving into work, I heard over the radio about this giant Asian hornet that had made its way to the United States, and was first detected in Washington state. Haven’t we seen this movie before? Isn’t that where we were first introduced to the coronavirus Covid-19?

This hornet, from all reports, can reach a size of two inches in length. So, here is what we know.

Hornets are found in many parts of the world and play a vital role in the balance of natural ecosystems through pollination, biodiversity and natural pest control. Unfortunately dubbed the “murder hornet,” the Asian giant hornet (AGH), the world’s largest, was sighted for the first time in the United States in December 2019.

Do you suspect that coronavirus may have hitched a ride on this hornet, arriving in the United States at about the same time?

The Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, is the world’s largest hornet. It is native to temperate and tropical East Asia, South Asia, Mainland Southeast Asia, and parts of the Russian Far East. It was also found in the Pacific Northwest of North America in late 2019, with two additional sightings in 2020. They prefer to live in low mountains and forests, while almost completely avoiding plains and high-altitude climates. They create nests by digging, co-opting pre-existing tunnels dug by rodents, or occupying spaces near rotted pine roots. It feeds primarily on larger insects, colonies of other eusocial insects, tree sap, and honey from honey bee colonies. The hornet has a body length of 1.8 inches, a wingspan around three inches), and a stinger a quarter of an inch long, which injects a large amount of potent venom.

The Asian giant hornet is often confused with the yellow-legged hornet, also known as the Asian hornet, an invasive species of major concern across Europe, including the United Kingdom.

According to Dick Rogers, principal scientist and entomologist, at Bayer Bee Care Program, while the AGH is large in size and has a big stinger compared to other ­hornets, it is typically not aggressive with humans. As always, those allergic to bee or wasp stings should practice caution and avoid contact with hornets in general.

Rogers has been a professional entomologist for more than four decades and has been keeping and studying bees for over 40 years. He joined the Bayer Bee Care Program in 2009.

The down side is the Asian Giant Hornet can pose a risk to honey bee colonies because it feeds on large insects, including wasps and bees. So far, they’ve only appeared in the northwest part of the United States, and monitoring efforts by the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) are underway to better understand these hornets and help educate beekeepers on how to protect their colonies.

On top of this, a team at Bayer is being pro-active by organizing a first detection trapping program in North Carolina and Missouri, which will be deployed in early July. They will then share their results with the WSDA at the end of the season. While they do not expect to catch any AGH this year, early detection is vital to an effective effort to eradicate them.

You can be confident the early introduction of the AGH in the United States and Canada is being closely monitored by professionals who have management plans in place should there be any future sightings. There’s no need to worry about catching a glimpse of these hornets in your yards or gardens, as they are not yet established in the United States. In fact, the only hornet that is established in our country, the European hornet, has been around since the late 1800s.

As always, it is important to protect our bees. It’s not only researchers and entomologists who can help protect honeybees. Everyone can support bees by getting outside to plant pollinator-friendly gardens or flowers.

As pollinators play a vital role in our ecosystem, crop production and biodiversity, I recommend you stay calm and keep gardening to provide your fuzzy friends with the flowers and habitat they need to thrive.

Learn more about how to plant pollinator-friendly gardens that help bees, monarchs and other important pollinators by visiting https://beehealth.bayer.us/home.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who was the first Boston Red Sox pitcher to win the American League Cy Young Award?

Answer can be found here.