Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and now Maryland have taken steps to eradicate the bug. It is important to be rid of it by spring, when the insects, which are currently in larval form living in the bark of infested trees, will appear as adults.

The insect was found last summer and fall, close to the Clinton-Brandywine area. The cutting began there recently and will continue through the end of March. The plan is to remove all of the ash trees within a 1.5-mile zone around each infected tree. The state has also quarantined all ash wood and hardwood firewood from leaving Prince George’s.

Ash trees are often popular for landscaping purposes; the removed trees will be chopped into one-inch chips at the price of upwards of $4 million in federal funding according to a Maryland Department of Agriculture spokesperson.

Spreading the word regarding the pest should help officials rid the area of the beetles, if people are cooperative with the quarantine. If the beetle is not removed the economic impact on the state’s $1.4 billion agriculture industry could be considerable officials have said. Losses could reach $300 million in the Baltimore area alone.