Pest Alert
!
The
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) will soon be coming to a tree near
you. The EAB is a boring beetle, accidentally imported
from Asia sometime during the last several years.
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.
In Michigan, more
than 5 million ash trees are dead or dying from this pest,
in 3000 square miles of forest. It has been spotted in
Ontario, Ohio,
Maryland and Virginia. (Forest Service 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.