What is it? What is it?  Emerald ash borer (EAB),  Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire  Exotic beetle

Where Did it Come From? Where Did it Come From?  Natural range: Eastern Russia, northern China, Japan, and Korea m m

How Did it Get Here? 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  co co co

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.

What Do the Adults Look Like? What Do the Adults Look Like?  Dark metallic green in color  1/2 inch-long and 1/8 inch wide o o

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

How is the Life Cycle? 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

How Does it Spread? 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

Where has it been Found? 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

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 _Trapping_DaytonEDITED.pps _Trapping_DaytonEDITED.pps _Trapping_DaytonEDITED.pps _Trapping_DaytonEDITED.pps

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.

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.

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

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

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

Alternative Trees  ‘Autumn Blaze’ Freeman Maple  Trident Maple  Hedge Maple  Miyabe Maple s/e2925.pdf s/e2925.pdf s/e2925.pdf s/e2925.pdf

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 pdf 25.pdf 25.pdf 25.pdf

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! es/e2925.pdf es/e2925.pdf

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.

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 o o