They find coverage in the bark crevices and in foliage during high temperatures and rainy weather. Females lay around 75 eggs from early May to mid-July, which turn to a yellow brown color prior to hatching.

Larvae are creamy white, have flattened, segmented bodies and can grow to be an inch long. Difficult to identify because of their color, they feed under bark from mid-summer through spring, which damages the ash tree?EUR??,,????'?????<

Originally imported into North America by mistake and discovered in Michigan in 2002. The EAB has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ontario, Canada. Today, the neighboring states are bracing for inevitable infestation. Photo: www.emeraldashborer.info

Infestation

Evidence of the emerald ash borer sometimes takes up to a year to recognize.

Trees in Danger

More than seven billion trees are currently at risk, each facing a slow two to three year death. Emerald ash borers attack all North American ash trees including white, green, and black ash and all horticultural varieties of these trees. All North American ash trees, from the smallest saplings to giant trees, are vulnerable.

The EAB is changing the face of the tree landscape throughout the midwest. Alternative trees such as Maple, Ginkgo, Kentucky Coffeetree, Oak, and Elm are now being planted to prevent the ash borer spread. Photo: invasive.org

Curbing the Spread

To combat the spread of the borer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has implemented quarantines in counties where the insect is detected, meaning no trees or firewood can be transported out of the area. In addition, all ash trees within a half-mile radius are destroyed. Companies and facilities that violate these orders are subject to large fines.

Wasps to the Rescue

According to The Grand Rapids Press, in July after years of preparation, nearly 1,600 imported Chinese parasitic wasps were released in Michigan counties.

You are probably asking what will be needed to kill the wasps when they become out of control, but scientists are confident their release will not have any unintended ecological impacts.

Environmental officials in states throughout the Midwest have been surveying their ash trees, ready to quarantine counties that show any signs of the pest.

Pesticides

Because pesticides must be applied yearly, they are best-used to protect high value trees or to keep individual ash alive until non-susceptible replacement trees are large enough to provide shade benefit.

Check Table 1 below to See which pesticides and methods are most successful against the EAB

Table 1

A severely compromised ash tree, regardless of the cause of its poor condition, is not a good candidate for preventative or curative treatment. Landscape superintendents should take the long term cost of prevention into account decide when deciding whether to use pesticides to protect their ash trees from EAB. Since ash trees must be treated every year for an indefinite period, the cost of chemical protection may quickly exceed the cost of removing and replacing them.

End of the Franchise?

According to Mlive.com, Michigan State University entomologist Dave Smitley reported good success controlling emerald ash borer when treatment is applied early enough on healthy ash trees. On a golf course where ash trees were under attack by the ash borers, both healthy and infested ashes were sprayed with a variety of treatments.

Sources: www.entm.purdue.edu, www.emeraldashborer.info, ashalert.osu.edu, Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The Grand Rapids Press, Wisconsin Radio Network www.fs.fed.us, and mlive.com

Unusual Effects of EAB

Killing over 30 million trees in five states, the tenacious emerald ash borer has caused unrest and fear throughout America?EUR??,,????'?????<