Emerald Ash Borer

Have you noticed that most national and state parks ask you not to bring in firewood from other places?  That’s because the emerald ash borer is our ash trees’ most fierce enemy.  And, it can be transported to your trees from dead wood.

Remember the American chestnut tree?  Me either.  That’s because the chestnut blight (a deadly fungal infection) was introduced to the American chestnut trees in 1904.  40 years later, almost every living chestnut tree was dead.  It killed 500 million trees.

Have you heard of dutch elm disease?  It was introduced to the United States in 1928, and has killed more than 3 billion elm trees.

What do these have to do with the emerald ash borer?  It has the same deadly effect.  The ash borer beetle attacks only ash trees.  The adults lay eggs in the bark of ash trees.  As the larvae develop and grow, it eats the wood, and burrows through the tree, eventually killing it.  As the adults emerge from the trees, they leave D shaped holes, which are a sign that a tree is affected.

These beetles are not native to North America, and so they have a devastating effect on our trees.  There are preventative measures that can be taken to protect your trees.  Don’t wait until it is too late!