By: Tori Bell Pd. 1

1. Emerald Ash Borer By: Tori Bell Pd. 1

2. What is it? • Emerald ash borer (EAB), • Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire • Exotic beetle http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

3. Where Did it Come From? • Natural range: Eastern Russia, northern China, Japan, and Korea http://www.emeraldashborer.info/search.cfm

4. How Did it Get Here? • We do not know for sure • Most likely came in ash wood used for stabilizing cargo in ships • May have arrived in packing or crating heavy consumer products • http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

5. How Long Have They Been Here? • No one knows for sure • Experts feel it may have been in the Detroit area for at least 12 years • Initial infestation probably started from a small number of beetles • By 2002, many trees in southeastern Michigan were dead or dying • In North America, native ash trees have little or no resistance to EAB • Natural enemies have had little effect when EAB populations are high. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

6. What Do the Adults Look Like? • Dark metallic green in color • 1/2 inch-long and 1/8 inch wide http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

7. Don’t be Fooled By Look-A-Likes! • Such as • Bronze-Birch Borer • Six-Spotted Tiger Beetle • Japanese Beetle • Two-Lined Chestnut Borer • Caterpillar Hunter • Cottonwood Borer http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/E2944.pdf

8. How is the Life Cycle? • Can have a one- or two-year life cycle • Adults begin emerging in mid to late May with peak emergence in late June • Females usually begin laying eggs about 2 weeks after emergence • Eggs hatch in 1-2 weeks • Tiny larvae bore through the bark and into the cambium (area between bark and wood where nutrient levels are high) • Larvae feed under the bark for several weeks, usually from late July or early August through October • Larvae typically pass through four stages, eventually reaching a size of roughly 1 to 1.25 inches long • Pupation occurs in spring and the new generation of adults will emerge in May or early June, to begin the cycle again http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

9. How Does it Spread? • Adults can fly at least 1/2 mile from the tree where they emerge • Many infestations were started when people moved infested ash nursery trees, logs, or firewood into uninfested areas • Shipments of ash nursery trees and ash logs with bark are now regulated • Transporting firewood outside of the quarantined areas is illegal • Transport of infested firewood remains a problem • Do not move ash firewood or logs outside of the quarantined area http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

10. Where has it been Found? • First thought to occur in six counties in southeastern Michigan: Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne • Also in Essex County, Ontario • we now realize that a much greater area was infested than what was initially thought. • Now only three counties in Michigan where EAB has not been detected • found in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri, Maryland, Ontario • We are getting better at finding infestations as survey methods improve • important to watch for signs and symptoms of EAB in non-quarantine areas http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

11. The Pennsylvania Problem • Quarantine imposed for Butler, Lawrence, Allegheny and Beaver counties • Adult beetles found on an ash tree in Cranberry Township, Butler County, by U.S. Department of Agriculture surveyors, through a joint effort by federal and state agriculture departments, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Penn State Extension http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/outoftheashes/Poland_EAB_Trapping_DaytonEDITED.pps

12. What is being Done Statewide? • Many agencies and Universities are working together to educate citizens about identification of ash trees and EAB • State and federal agencies have programs in place to help restore urban forest in cities that sustained heavy EAB damage • Research is underway to learn more about the biology of EAB, its rate of spread, methods for EAB detection, predators and other natural enemies that may attack EAB • Insecticides can be used to protect trees in infested areas. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

13. What Trees Does it Attack? • In North America: affects ash trees • Trees in woodlots and landscaped areas are affected • Larval galleries were found in trees or branches measuring as little as 1-inch in diameter • All species of North American ash are susceptible. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/search.cfm

14. What Happens to Infested Ash Trees? • Canopy of infested trees begins to thin above infested portions of trunk and major branches • Borer destroys water and nutrient conducting tissues under the bark • Heavily infested trees exhibit canopy die-back usually starting at top tree • One-third to one-half of the branches may die in one year • Most of canopy will be dead within 2 years of when symptoms begin • Sometimes ash trees push out sprouts from trunk after upper portions of the tree dies • Although difficult to see, adult beetles leave a "D"-shaped exit hole in bark, roughly 1/8 inch in diameter, when they emerge in June http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

15. How do I know if It is an Ash Tree? • Branch and Bud Arrangement • Branches and buds directly across from each other and not staggered • Leaves • Leaves are compound and composed of • 5-11 leaflets • Bark • On mature trees bark is tight with a distinct pattern of diamond-shaped ridges • Seeds • When present on trees, seeds are dry, oar-shaped samaras http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/e2925.pdf

16. Does it Only Attack Dying or Stressed Trees? • Healthy ash trees are also susceptible • Beetles may prefer to lay eggs or feed on stressed trees • When EAB populations are high, small trees may die within 1-2 years of becoming infested • Large trees can be killed in 3-4 years http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico

17. Alternative Trees • ‘Autumn Blaze’ Freeman Maple • Trident Maple • Hedge Maple • Miyabe Maple http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/files/e2925.pdf

18. How Do We Treat it? • Effectively treating EAB-infested ash trees can be tricky • Many are unaware of the degree of infestation ash trees have • Different stages help homeowners determine if it is worth the effort to try to save the tree, or if it may be best to take it down. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/files/e2925.pdf

19. The Problem • Early detection & delimitation are virtually impossible • Signs and symptoms do not appear for 1+ years after attack • By then adults may have spread • New tools for detection are desperately needed!http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/e2925.pdf

20. How Big of a Problem is This? • EAB is becoming an international problem, with infestations in Canada, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Wisconsin, Maryland, West Virginia and Virginia • Could reach billions of dollars of damage nationwide if not dealt with • State and federal agencies have made this problem a priority • Homeowners can help by carefully monitoring their ash trees for signs and symptoms of EAB throughout the year. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/e2925.pdf

21. Who Can I Call to Get More Info or Report an Infested Tree? • Contact your county Extension office or the nearest Department of Agriculture office • You may also contact the USDA Emerald Ash Borer Hotline toll-free at 1-866-322-4512 http://www.emeraldashborer.info/favicon.ico