Pest Alert
Update (February, 2010)
The
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was found in St. Paul May, 2009,
according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
The MDA has quarantined ash
firewood, nursery stock, timber and other ash material to or
from Hennepin or Ramsey Counties. Since May, many more
cases of EAB have been discovered, and Saint Paul has
adopted a policy of "structured removal" of infected areas
(see
http://www.stpaul.gov/index.aspx?nid=2495).
After Maine, Minnesota has the second highest number of ash
trees in the nation, all of which
are now at risk.
The EAB is a
boring beetle that targets ash trees, accidentally imported
from Asia in the late 90's, discovered in the U.S. in the summer of 2002.
According to the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service,
this pest
could eventually rival Dutch Elm Disease in North
America. If you have ash trees on your property, you
need to be on the lookout for signs of infestation.
Early detection
is extremely important, as it is a treatable
infestation. Call Ostvig Tree if you believe your
ash tree may be infected, or if you wish to prevent
infestation.
So far, the
Emerald Ash Borer has:
- Killed tens of millions of
ash trees in southeastern
Michigan alone, with tens of
millions
more lost in Ohio, Illinois,
Indiana, Pennsylvania, West
Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin,
Virginia, Ontario, and Quebec.
- Caused regulatory agencies
and the
USDA to enforce quarantines
(Michigan,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Maryland,
Missouri,
Ohio,
Ontario,
Pennsylvania, Quebec,
Virginia,
West Virginia, and
Wisconsin) and fines to
prevent potentially infested ash
trees, logs or hardwood
firewood from moving out of
areas where EAB occurs.
- Cost municipalities,
property owners, nursery
operators and forest products
industries tens
of millions of dollars.
From
WWW.EMERALDASHBORER.INFO
The US Forest Service
has issued a Pest Alert
(NA-PR-02-04).
Short summary of
what to look for in your ash trees:
-
Woodpecker
activity
-
Tree canopy
degradation (loss of leaves)
-
Bark fissures
-
"D" shaped exit
holes
-
"S" shaped
insect galleries (bored paths beneath the bark)
Primary affected
trees are: green, white and black ash trees, as well as
horticultural varieties of ash. Please note that
mountain ash trees are not affected - as they are not "true"
ash trees.
Below are some
very useful links for identifying signs of infestation.
Remember -
this is a treatable infestation. If you find signs of
the Emerald Ash Borer in one of your ash trees, call Ostvig
Tree. We'll evaluate the problem and take appropriate
action.
