EAB news and info

[Dan F]

I'm starting this thread for info on Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This is info that has been passed along to me. If you have info, feel free to post it. Questions or comments, please post them on the thread marked "reply here". This will be both Canadian and US EAB info.

Here's the first article:
---------------
Bug spurring drastic plan

Thousands of ash trees may be cut down to stop the advance of the emerald ash borer.

DEBORA VAN BRENK, Free Press Reporter

2003-11-19 04:30:23



Federal officials are proposing to cut down thousands of ash trees in a huge swath of land between Tilbury and Chatham to halt the spread of the emerald ash borer. The killer beetle decimating forests in the United States has reached Chatham-Kent on its fast and devastating move eastward.

Researchers confirm the borer has been found in two patches of trees near Tilbury and Merlin -- the first time it has advanced east of Essex County.

Yesterday, city and federal officials met privately in Chatham-Kent to discuss details of a proposed "ash-free zone" that could stop the bugs' inexorable march through Southwestern Ontario.

Tom Beaton, Chatham-Kent's parks superintendent, said the swath would be 10 kilometres wide by at least 40 kilometres long and be located somewhere east of Tilbury and west of Chatham.

The precise location would depend on how quickly the bug advances before federal money is approved for the task.

That could happen by the middle of next month, Beaton hopes.

"Everybody's holding their breath at this point in time. We think there's an announcement coming."

Federal approval is "looking encouraging," said Ken Mar-chant, forestry specialist with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle that attacks and destroys white, red and green ash (but not mountain ash). It's already destroyed as many as five million trees in Michigan and as many as one million in Essex County.

"The only way to stop this, because nothing's been found over the summer that's a silver bullet, is to cut a swath that's free of ash," Marchant said.

The federal government has the authority to go onto private property and get rid of ash trees to destroy the pest. The move wouldn't need approval from property owners or municipal councils.

Creating that zone will cost millions, warned Robert Holland of the Ash Rescue Coalition, but it's already been costly to have waited this long. "This thing is exploding. Every year it grows exponentially."

He said the federal government has been dealing with the problem in "a minimalist, passive way" that could ultimately cost municipalities a fortune.

"It's a complex problem, but it's a multi-billion-dollar risk," Holland said.

In Windsor, city taxpayers will spend $6 million to remove and replace 6,000 city-owned ash trees.

London, by contrast, has 9,600 ash trees.

Beaton said his municipality has no estimate of its number of ash trees, but residents should be concerned.

"It's potentially an environmental disaster," Beaton said.

New information on the borer suggests the insect can move as far as 10 kilometres (previously, it was believed a kilometre was its maximum range), may be more active during colder weather than first thought and may have the ability to pick on host trees that aren't ash.

Meanwhile, for the first time, Chatham-Kent residents are being urged not to move firewood, untreated lumber or nursery stock out of infested or potentially infested areas.

Marchant said that movement poses a greater danger to spread the insect than anything else.

Highway 401 signs telling motorists not to transport firewood out of Essex are being amended and moved to Chatham-Kent's borders, Beaton said.

A ban was placed yesterday on exporting any live trees or firewood out of all of Essex County.

Beaton said ash-tree production for furniture, wood floors and other products is a $6.5-billion annual industry in Canada.



Copyright © The London Free Press 2001,2002,2003

 

[Dan F]

State wants disaster funding to combat ash borer damage

By BOB GROSS , Of The Daily Oakland Press

11/20/2003

The emerald ash borer Daily Oakland Press file photo/VAUGHN GURGANIAN


November 20, 2003
DETROIT - Michigan is on the verge of asking the federal government for a disaster declaration that could give cash-strapped municipalities in Oakland County and elsewhere some help in removing dead and dying ash trees judged to be public safety hazards.

Capt. John Ort of the Michigan State Police Emergency Management Division, who is deputy state director of homeland security and emergency management, said a draft letter seeking federal disaster relief funds could be on Gov. Jennifer Granholm's desk before the end of the year.

It would be up to the governor to send the letter to President Bush asking for disaster relief.

"The problem is not going to go away," said Ort.

He was speaking Wednesday to a group of municipal leaders and employees at the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments offices in downtown Detroit.

State emergency management officials contend that dead ash trees killed by the emerald ash borer - an invasive species first identified last year - now constitute a public safety threat in areas where they could fall on people, on private property such as automobiles or on public infrastructure such as utility lines.

About 6 million ash trees have died or will die by year's end in the seven-county core infestation area that includes Oakland County. That number is expected to climb.

That is a lot of trees that potentially could come crashing down during high winds or from heavy ice or snow.

"You can't help but think about the dollar, but this has risen to the point of being a public safety issue," said Ort.

Tim Flint, Michigan emerald ash borer response coordinator, said officials were holding their breath after last week's wind storm.

"We haven't had any increase in the amount of wood that did come down," he said.

"As (the trees) get older, the risk will increase."

Keith Creagh, deputy director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said it's essential to identify areas where there is a risk to public safety.

"Part of the reason we're in this room today is to make sure these trees come down in a safe manner," he said.

Ort said that even with federal assistance, the task facing local governments, as well as the state, is not an easy one.

"We're just roughly estimating if we were given the assistance we need to solve the problem, this would span out over two to three years," he said. "Certainly, this isn't going to be solved overnight."

Funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, if available to the state, would not be used, however, to fund tree replacement. That kind of federal aid, said Flint, would come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service.

"Some of that is in, and there's been a continued request for Forest Service funds," he said.

The state did request federal aid in February to help battle the ash borer. The government allocated $14.6 million - Michigan received $6.8 million - to prevent the spread of the pest and to protect the state's 676 million ash trees outside the core infested area.

Last year, the state imposed a quarantine on ash wood and nursery stock from Oakland, Wayne, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw and Monroe counties. This past summer, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, St. Clair and Shiawassee were added to the list.

In addition, the ash borer has been found in small pockets in Saginaw, Eaton and Kent counties.

The state also prohibits the movement of any firewood out of the 13-county quarantine area. The federal government has a similar quarantine on the same area, with a further prohibition against interstate transport of ash nursery stock and products and firewood.

The state's strategy is to try to identify the core area - the area within the original quarantine zone where the infestation is greatest - then confine the pest there in the hope that it will eventually eat itself out of house and home.

The grubs of the emerald ash borer kill trees by tunneling beneath the bark, carving out galleries that interrupt the flow of water and nutrients from the roots to the tree's crown.

The majority of dead trees that have been removed in southeast Michigan were taken to marshaling yards - including the Collier Road Landfill in Pontiac - where they were ground up and transported to a power generating plant in Genesee County to be used for fuel.

There has been some research, however, into ways the wood - minus the grub-and egg-infested bark - could be used to recoup some of the costs associated with tree removal.

Cara Boucher of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said the logs could be used for lumber, railroad ties, baseball bats and other products.

"You take about two of them," she said, pointing to a slide of a large ash log, "and they would cover, with a nice high quality ash floor, a 10- by 15-foot room."

The DNR will conduct two tree restoration workshops, for landscape professionals and for homeowners, in February and April 2004.

©The Oakland Press 2003

 

[Dan F]

ASIAN BEETLE
Experts convinced Ohio trees in danger
Ash borer found to be highly mobile

By TOM HENRY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

New research shows the dreaded emerald ash borer has a range of more
than six miles once it emerges from its tree in the spring.

The revelation has stunned experts and made them fear Ohio's valuable
ash crop is doomed.

The highly destructive Asian beetle, which already has killed or is in
the process of killing five million ash trees in southeast Michigan,
previously was thought to have a range of a quarter-mile.

That was true as recently as Oct. 29, when the Ohio Department of
Agriculture had teams scouring the vicinity of the Crossroads Centre
shopping plaza in Rossford for evidence of the spreading menace. They
thought they were being conservative by extending their search out to a
two-mile radius.

But tests by Ohio State University entomologist Robin Taylor, performed
at a state research station with researchers from the U.S. Forest
Service and the Canadian Forest Service, show everyone may have grossly
underestimated the bug's capability.

The trio found the insect can roam at least 10 kilometers, which is a
little more than six miles.

Mr. Taylor of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in
Wooster, Ohio, said the trio's data are strong - possibly even
conservative.

"From a practical standpoint, all the trees in Ohio are at risk," he
said. "The question is 'How long is it going to take?'"

Ohio has 3.8 billion ash trees, covering 850,000 acres of the state's
eight million acres of woodlands. Should the insect careen out of
control, it could deliver a blow to the state's economy because Ohio is
a major manufacturer of tool handles made from ash.

Ash is one of North America's primary commercial hardwoods, used for
flooring, cabinets, baseball bats, and other products.

The tree also has been one of the most popular for landscaping because
of its tolerance to weather and soil conditions, as well as its
resistance to gypsy moths and other pests.

Mr. Taylor said the emerald ash borer "outclasses the gypsy moth and
Japanese beetle together in terms of its capabilities."

He said there is no doubt the borer has the potential of wiping out
North American ash trees like the disease that ravaged Dutch elm trees
a
generation ago.

"I wouldn't make any long-range plans for my ash trees here in Wooster.
The situation is that serious," Mr. Taylor said. "It's a very
disturbing
prospect, but I don't see a way out."

Neither does Tom Oberhouse, owner of North Branch Nursery in
Pemberville, Ohio. "Honestly, at this point, it's not going to make a
big difference. The market's gone," he lamented.

Bill Stalter, a spokesman for the Ohio Nursery and Landscape
Association, said the consensus among growers is that ash trees will
"probably in 10 to 15 years go the way of the Dutch elm tree."

Mr. Oberhouse said he has gotten to the point of discouraging buyers
from purchasing his ash trees for fear that his customers won't be
happy
with his business if they wind up with one that gets infested and dies
within a few years.

He said he has sold only 200 ash trees this year, instead of the usual
1,000 or 1,200.

"We still have some customers a few hundred miles from here who are
convinced it's not going to get that far," Mr. Oberhouse said.

Some 2,500 to 2,700 of his ash trees may end up being mulched so that
the nursery can use the land to grow something else, he said.

Mr. Taylor's research undoubtedly will be discussed at length Wednesday
when a special panel of state and federal officials convenes to start
discussing strategies for attacking Ohio's problem.

The bug's wider range could considerably drive up costs for trying to
eradicate the pest.

Also likely to be discussed will be research from Dan Herms, another
Ohio State entomologist. He is studying the possibility of growing a
hybrid between North American and Asian ash in hopes it would be more
resilient.

But officials are not sure yet just how resilient the Asian variety is
to the bug, said Mauricio Espinoza, a spokesman for the state
experimental station.

"It's kind of demoralizing to find these new infestations," Mr. Herms
said.

"I fear that this is just a preview of things to come next year and
years after," he said.

Melanie Wilt, Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesman, said there is
no
evidence that the emerald ash borer has survived in the Whitehouse
area,
which had Ohio's first confirmed sighting on Feb. 28.

A swath of trees were toppled in the spring there in an effort to
eradicate the bug from the state.

The luck did not last long. The bug emerged this summer and fall in
Defiance and Paulding counties as well as the Rossford-Perrysburg area.
All were attributed to previous nursery sales or shipments.

The beetle is believed to have been imported accidentally years ago in
a
wood shipment from Asia to Michigan. Michigan now has a 13-county
quarantine.

Other confirmed sightings are in Ontario and the Washington suburb of
Prince George's County, Maryland.

 

[Dan F]

Beetle Found In Central Ohio
November 30, 2003

A beetle that killed millions of trees in Michigan and spread to
northwest
Ohio was recently found in Columbus.

Federal officials confirmed last week that the emerald ash borer was
found
in a cluster of trees near a northeast Columbus auto repair shop. The
beetle
has infested or destroyed about 6 million ash trees in Michigan and was
found this year in several locations in northwest Ohio.

The Columbus infestation was discovered after U.S. Agriculture
Department
investigators traced a shipment of ash trees from a Michigan nursery to
a
landscaping company here. The trees were sold in 2001, before Ohio
banned
bringing ash trees into the state from Michigan.

Tom Harrison is chief of the Ohio Department of Agriculture's
plant-pest
section. He says it's too early to tell if the Columbus infestation
will
spread.

(c) Associated Press and Dispatch Productions, Inc., 2003. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.

 

[Dan F]

$10M swath intended to cut off ash borer advance


DEBORA VAN BRENK, Free Press Regional Reporter 2003-11-26 03:33:30

Forestry officials desperately hope a $10-million project to raze as
many as
70,000 ash trees in Chatham-Kent will stop the emerald ash borer's
deadly
advance to London and the rest of Ontario. Yesterday the federal
government
approved an "ash-free zone" along Chatham-Kent's western border to stop
the
emerald ash borer from killing millions more ash trees, an announcement
conservationists had been awaiting for months.

The zone will cover about 300 square kilometres of mostly private land,
a
swath 10 kilometres wide and about 30 kilometres long stretching from
Lake
St. Clair to Lake Erie, said Ken Marchant, a forester with the Canadian
Food
Inspection Agency.

"Our preliminary survey indicates there's somewhere between 50,000 and
70,000 ash trees in that zone," although not all of them are mature
trees,
he said.

"Anything bigger than a centimetre or so (in diameter) is a potential
host
for the emerald ash borer."

The dramatic move comes after about about 200,000 trees in neighbouring
Essex County and millions more in Michigan were destroyed by the
burrowing
bug.

Without the zone, the borer would be in London within a year, Marchant
predicted.

But Marchant admits there's a risk the cull won't work.

"There's no 100-per-cent guarantee of success. But we don't want to be
guilty of failing to try," he said.

Ash is a major commercial wood crop for furniture and flooring and a
popular
urban shade tree.

Marchant said the next step is sending the job out to tender, notifying
landowners of the plan and informing residents they may not transport
live
or untreated wood out of the area.

The federal agency wants the trees removed and destroyed by the end of
March
and no later than May 1, before the bug becomes more active.

The beetle has moved faster and farther than first expected when it was
found in Windsor and Detroit last year.

First believed to travel just a kilometre at a time, the bug is now
known to
have a range of almost 10 kilometres. That doubled the original plan to
create a swath five kilometres wide.

The cut trees will be chipped and the stumps treated with a chemical.

It is also now illegal to remove firewood or any live wood from Essex
County
or affected areas of Chatham-Kent.

"It's paramount that the emerald ash borer not escape from Essex,"
Marchant
said. "If it does, it will spread rapidly to the rest of Eastern
Canada."

Two small sites in Chatham-Kent, near Tilbury and Merlin, have already
been
identified as infested areas.

With the expense of surveying, cutting, enforcement and ensuring
compliance,
the cost could be "in the neighbourhood of $10 million," he said.

The federal government will pay the cost of creating the so-called
"firebreak" but doesn't intend to compensate landowners, although they
will
be notified in advance.

Robert Holland of the Ash Rescue Coalition, has wanted the bug
corralled
far
earlier, but is happy federal money has finally been approved.

"Better late than never," he said yesterday.

He's also looking for federal assurances Point Pelee will be monitored
and
protected, plus an area north of that zone along the St. Clair River.

Tom Beaton, Chatham-Kent parks superintendent, said the municipality is
looking at a program to help property owners replace the trees that
have
been removed.

Chatham-Kent-Essex MP Jerry Pickard said the tree-cutting is a
"difficult"
but necessary move to contain the borer.

Copyright (c) The London Free Press 2001,2002,2003

 

[DadF]

Try this site also:
http://www.michigan.gov/mda/0,1607,7-125--65294--,00.html

 

[Dan F]

sucks to be this guy!

From the Detroit News



Saturday, December 6, 2003

Landscaper pleads no contest to violating ash tree quarantine

By Associated Press

DETROIT -- The owner of a Milford landscaping company has pleaded no contest to 123 charges connected to violations of the state's emerald ash borer quarantine, state officials announced Friday.

According to state officials, Stuart Leve, of Stuart Leve Inc., sent 121 ash trees in two shipments to Maryland. The firm shipped the trees without an official inspection certifying they were free of pests and diseases.

Sara Linsmeier-Wurfel, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said that after state officials learned of the shipments the trees were recalled from a Maryland nursery.

Some of the trees had already been sold and had to be removed from where they had been planted, she said.

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is treated as one for sentencing purposes. Leve faces a fine of up to $100 and up to 90 days in jail for each of the 123 charges when sentenced Wednesday.

A message seeking comment from Leve was left Friday.

Because the investigation of the firm began before a federal quarantine was issued for Michigan, Leve will not be charged under federal law, Linsmeier-Wurfel said.

Under the state quarantine, it is illegal to move ash trees, branches, lumber, and other materials from the designated counties unless chipped to one inch in diameter. Firewood from any species within the 13 Michigan counties is banned from movement, which means that firewood purchased within the quarantined counties has to stay there.

The federal quarantine is similar to the state's and restricts interstate movement of the materials.

The first ash borers in Michigan were discovered in May 2002. The pests have killed about 6 million of the state's estimated 700 million ash trees, federal agriculture officials have said.

Michigan officials have spent more than $14 million and destroyed 40,000 tons of ash trees. Michigan's congressional delegation and Gov. Jennifer Granholm are asking the federal government for $42 million to attack the emerald ash borer over the next year.

The 13 quarantined counties are Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Lapeer, Lenawee, Shiawassee, St. Clair, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne.

On the Net:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, http://www.usda.gov

Michigan Department of Agriculture, http://www.michigan.gov/md

 

[Dan F]

Part I

I think this will need to be split up into at least 4-5 sections to get in under the max character count... It's that long, but VERY comprehensive. I've tried to clean it up so it flows a little better, but it's still not perfect so please bear with it.
----------------------------------
This is a special 2003 edition of the Buckeye Yard and Garden Line
(BYGL) dedicated to providing information on the emerald ash borer.

BYGL is a service of OSU Extension and is aided by major support from the
Ohio Nursery and Landscape Association (ONLA), with additional funding from the Ohio Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), to the OSU Extension Nursery, Landscape, and Turf Team (ENLTT). Any
materials in this newsletter may be reproduced for educational purposes providing the source is credited.


*************************************************************************

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. INTRODUCTION
2. EMERALD ASH BORER ARTICLE
3. ADDITIONAL EMERALD ASH BORER RESOURCES ON THE WEB
4. UPCOMING PROGRAMS ON EMERALD ASH BORER
5. EMERALD ASH BORER DIAGNOSTIC CHECK-OFF LIST


*************************************************************************

1. INTRODUCTION. In 2003, the non-native emerald ash borer (Agrilus
planipennis) was found in 5 counties in Ohio. The most recent discovery was made in Franklin County. Although the BYGL is usually produced from April through October, the goal of the BYGL is to provide helpful, timely information. So, we decided a special edition of the BYGL dedicated to the emerald ash borer would be appropriate.

This issue includes a comprehensive article on the emerald ash borer,
web resources, and a listing of upcoming training programs where the borer will be discussed. Additionally, we have provided an emerald ash borer diagnostic check-off list that can be copied and used for making field
identifications of emerald ash borer infestations.

We encourage you to share this information on emerald ash borer with
your employees, clientele, or others you know of who do not receive the
BYGL. Feel free to copy and distribute the entire BYGL, or sections. However, if you use this information in newsletters, or other publications, we ask that you please credit the source.


*************************************************************************
2. EMERALD ASH BORER ARTICLE. The following article will appear in the
2003 Extension / OARDC Special Circular, "Ornamental Plants Annual
Reports and Research Reviews." However, because it provides such a
comprehensive overview of the emerald ash borer, we decided to include it in its entirety in this special edition of the BYGL.


Emerald Ash Borer: The Beginning of the End of Ash in North America?

Daniel A. Herms, Amy K. Stone, and James A. Chatfield

Affiliations: Daniel A. Herms, Department of Entomology, The Ohio
State University / Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center,
Wooster; Amy K. Stone, Ohio State University Extension, Lucas
County; James A. Chatfield, Ohio State University Extension, Northeast
District / Department of Horticulture and Crop Science.


Introduction

Since its accidental importation from Asia, emerald ash borer (Agrilus
planipennis) has infested and killed more than 6 million ash trees
(Fraxinus spp.) in southeast Michigan woodlands, parks, urban forests,
street tree plantings, landscapes, and nurseries. The core infestation
of this exotic, invasive insect now extends across several thousand square miles in 13 counties in southeast Michigan and Windsor, Ontario.

All major North American ash species have been killed by emerald ash
borer, which infests trees ranging in size from 1½ inch caliper nursery stock
to fully mature trees in forests. While most native borers kill only severely
weakened trees, emerald ash borer kills healthy trees as well, making
it especially devastating. If it is not contained and eradicated, the
impact of emerald ash borer on ash in North America will be similar to that of
chestnut blight and Dutch elm disease, which devastated natural and
urban forests in the twentieth century.

Emerald ash borer was unknown in North America until June 2002, when it
was discovered killing ash trees in southeast Michigan and neighboring
Windsor, Ontario. It is native to eastern Russia, northeastern China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea, where it occurs on several species of ash. It was probably imported into Michigan via infested ash crating or pallets at least 10 years ago.

Localized infestations discovered in Ohio in 2003 in Lucas (February),
Defiance (August), Paulding (August), Wood (September), and Franklin
(November) counties have triggered ongoing eradication efforts in Ohio.
In September 2003, an infestation was also confirmed in Maryland near
Washington D.C. Artificial spread of the insect has been traced to
movement of infested ash logs, firewood, and nursery stock.


Economic and Ecological Impact of Emerald Ash Borer

The economic and ecological impacts of emerald ash borer have already
been substantial, and would be staggering if this exotic pest continues to spread. It clearly has the potential to virtually eliminate ash as a
component of North American forests, which will have dramatic effects
on ecosystem processes, as well as plant and animal communities.
Ash species, which inhabit a variety of soils and ecosystems, are dominant
throughout the forests of eastern North America. An Ohio Department of
Natural Resources study estimated there to be more than 3.8 billion ash
trees in Ohio, with standing timber valued at more than $1 billion. Furthermore, ash is one of the most important nursery and landscape species. According to the USDA, wholesale value of ash sold by
Ohio nurseries exceeded $20 million in 1998, a market threatened by
emerald ash borer. Michigan and Ohio have already experienced serious economic impacts. Ash
has been one of the most commonly planted trees in landscapes and urban
forests. In Michigan, emerald ash borer has already caused an estimated
$11.6 million of damage to landscapes and woodlots, and quarantines
have restricted the sale of $2 million worth of nursery stock. In addition,
costs of removing dead and dying ash trees have overwhelmed municipal
budgets in the affected counties, and private property owners must
often pay in excess of $1000 per tree for removal of large shade trees. A
quarantine on ash timber has also had negative economic impacts on
sawmills, tool handle factories, and firewood dealers in Michigan and
Ohio.

Eradication costs for the localized emerald ash borer infestation in
Lucas County, Ohio in April 2003 exceeded $300,000, while projected costs of eradication in southeastern Michigan will exceed $350 million over the next 10-13 years.

 

[Dan F]

Part II

Taxonomy and Biology

Taxonomically, emerald ash borer is a beetle (Coleoptera) belonging to the
family known as metallic wood-borers (Buprestidae). Adults of many species
in this family are brightly colored with a metallic glint, making them favorites of collectors. Larvae of these beetles are known as flatheaded borers, deriving their common name from the larval stage, which appears to have a broadly flattened head (it is actually the thorax which mostly conceals the much smaller head). Emerald ash borer larvae are white with a long (about one inch when mature) narrow, segmented abdomen that is also flattened, which gives them the appearance of small tapeworms. Adults are elongate, one-half inch long beetles with striking, metallic green
coloration.

Emerald ash borer belongs to the same genus (Agrilus) as bronze birch borer
(A. anxius) and twolined chestnut borer (A. bilineatus), which are both native to North America. The biology of emerald ash borer is quite similar to its native relatives. There is one generation each year. Adults emerge from late May through early August, with emergence peaking in early July. As adults merge, they leave small (1/8 inch), distinctly D-shaped exit holes in the trunk and main branches, which is a sure sign of
infestation. Adults feed on foliage for 1-2 weeks prior to mating. Females produce about 50-100 eggs, which are laid individually on the bark surface, or within bark cracks and crevices. Observations indicate that upper portions of the trunk are colonized initially, making it difficult to detect early infestations.

As larvae hatch, they tunnel into the tree, where they feed on the phloem
and outer sapwood, excavating S-shaped, serpentine galleries just under the bark. Larvae continue to feed through summer and into the fall, with most completing their evelopment prior to over-wintering in the outer bark or just under the inner bark, within the outer inch of sapwood. Pupation occurs in mid- to late-spring. Adults emerge soon thereafter to
complete the one year cycle.


Diagnosing Emerald Ash Borer: Signs and Symptoms

Infestations of emerald ash borer are difficult to detect until they become
severe, because larvae are hidden under bark, they colonize the upper
portion of the trunk first, and symptoms resemble other causes of tree decline.

There are few external signs or symptoms of early infestations. When
trees are still vigorous, small, vertical splits may form in the bark in response
to the growth of wound-periderm (callus) tissue that forces out the
bark as it forms over larval galleries in the phloem. To confirm the presence
of emerald ash borer, one can widen the splits to reveal larvae and galleries
under the bark. Larval galleries are distinctly S-shaped or serpentine,
and are packed tightly with frass (mixture of sawdust and excrement).
They are also visible on the inner surface of the outer bark when removed.

The presence of small (1/8 inch) D-shaped exit holes in the trunk or
main branches by emerging adults is a sure sign of infestation. As infestations
progress into the second year, the canopy will start to thin and branch
dieback may occur. Decline accelerates rapidly, and trees are generally
killed within 2-4 years of infestation. Epicormic shoots often sprout from
the main trunk of declining trees. Woodpeckers are proving to be
important predators of emerald ash borer. A noticeable increase in woodpecker activity on ash trees can provide an early indication of an
infestation, especially during winter.


Distinguishing Emerald Ash Borer From Native Borers

Green Industry professionals and Extension personnel called to inspect
declining ash trees may have the first opportunity to detect new emerald
ash borer infestations before they become well established. However,
there are several native clearwing and roundheaded borers that also commonly infest ash. Hence, the ability to distinguish emerald ash borer
infestations from those of native borers is extremely important.

Among the most common of the native ash borers are the banded ash
clearwing borer (Podosesia aureocincta) and ash/lilac borer (P. syringae), both of which are the larvae of clearwing moths. The banded ash clearwing borer has become especially common in Ohio's urban forests. Although many signs and symptoms of native borers resemble those of emerald ash borer, there are several important characteristics that are useful in distinguishing clearwing borer infestations from those of emerald ash borer.

In particular, the nature of the galleries and the shape of the exit holes are distinctly different between emerald ash borer and the native borers. Clearwing larvae bore deep into the sapwood, while galleries of emerald ash borer are confined to the phloem tissue just under the bark. Clearwing borers expel their frass from the tree, which can accumulate in large quantities in bark crevices, branch crotches, and on the ground, providing a good sign of an infestation. Conversely, emerald ash borer larvae pack their frass tightly within their galleries as they feed. Upon emerging, clearwing borers leave behind a pupal case, which is sometimes found protruding from the emergence hole. Flatheaded borers, on the other hand, do not produce a pupal case.

The shape of adult emergence holes in the trunk is the most distinctive
diagnostic guide. The emergence holes of emerald ash borer are distinctly
D-shaped, while emergence holes of clearwing borers of ash are larger
(1/4 inch diameter) and round. Because the galleries of clearwing borers penetrate into the sapwood, one can insert a thin wire through the
emergence hole well into the tree. This is not possible with emerald ash
borer exit holes, as the galleries wind just under the bark, and are plugged with frass. There is a native species of Agrilus that infests ash, and it probably also produces D-shaped emergence holes. However, it is much smaller than emerald ash borer, and colonizes only small branches and twigs.

Several species of roundheaded borers also infest ash, with the redheaded
ash borer (Neoclytus acuminatus) being the most common in Ohio. Roundheaded borers are larvae of longhorned beetles (Order:
Coleoptera; Family: Cerambycidae), which derive their name from the very
long antennae of adults.

As their name implies, the larvae of redheaded ash borer and other
roundheaded borers are round in cross section, in contrast to the highly
flattened profile of flatheaded borers. Redheaded ash borer infestations
can also be distinguished from emerald ash borer by the presence of large
(3/8 inch wide), oval exit holes. Galleries initially form just under
the bark and are packed with frass, as is the case with emerald ash borer. However, redheaded ash borer galleries are not nearly as serpentine. As larvae mature, they extend their galleries well into the sapwood, usually following the grain of the wood, while emerald ash borer galleries are restricted to the phloem. Furthermore, redheaded ash borer is restricted to severely weakened, dying, and freshly killed trees (e.g. freshly cut timber and firewood), while emerald ash borers colonize healthy trees.

In summary, the presence of erpentine galleries packed tightly with frass
just under the outer bark, coupled with one-eighth inch diameter D-shaped
emergence holes through the bark of the trunk and main branches, are
sure signs of an emerald ash borer infestation.


Host Plants and Host Impact

Ash species known to be infested in Michigan include green (Fraxinus
pennsylvanica), white (F. americana), black (F. nigra), and blue ash (F.
quadrangulata), as well as horticultural cultivars of these species. Only
living trees are colonized. Emerald ash borer will not colonize a dead
tree. Native host plants in Asia also include ash species, with F.
mandshurica (Manchurian ash) and F. chinensis being primary hosts.

In China, emerald ash borer is known only to colonize ash. In Japan,
species of Juglans (walnuts and butternuts), Ulmus (elms), and
Pterocarya (wingnuts) have also been recorded as hosts. However, emerald ash borer has not been well studied in Japan. Furthermore, host records for
borers are notoriously unreliable. For example, host records for wood borers
often include species from which adults were collected, even when they
do not colonize that species in the larval stage. Research this past year
at Michigan State University strongly suggests that walnut and elm are not
viable hosts for emerald ash borer larvae.

Adult beetles feed on foliage, resulting in irregular, jagged-edged patches
of missing tissue along the leaf margin, the impact of which is negligible. The larva is the damaging stage, girdling the tree as it tunnels under the bark where it feeds primarily on phloem tissue. This disrupts the flow of carbohydrates between the canopy and roots, which results in canopy thinning, branch dieback, and finally tree death, typically within 2-4 years of initial infestation.

 

[Dan F]

Part III

Larvae also engrave the outer layers of the water-conducting sapwood (xylem) as they feed. This type of feeding actually causes relatively little harm to trees such as birches with a xylem anatomy known as "diffuse porous," because water is conducted through a number of annual growth rings, most of which are not injured. Rather, flatheaded borers, such as bronze birch borer, tend to kill diffuse porous species gradually as girdling of phloem starves the roots. On the other hand, "ring porous" trees, such as ash, can be killed rapidly by flatheaded borers. The functional xylem of ring porous trees is confined to the current growth increment just under the bark. Borers,
such as emerald ash borer, that scar the surface of the xylem cause extensive damage to this very thin layer of water conducting tissue as they engrave the surface of the sapwood. This disrupts the transpiration stream, which can result in rapid decline and death of infested trees, especially during periods of drought.


OSU Research on Host Plant Resistance

In Asia, emerald ash borer does not devastate its native hosts. Reports
indicate that outbreaks are isolated and associated with stress events
such as drought. This suggests that in Asia, ashes may be generally resistant,
and that emerald ash borer referentially colonizes stressed trees.
Thus, emerald ash borer seems to behave in Asia much as its close native
relatives do in North America, including bronze birch borer and twolined
chestnut borer, which also referentially colonize stressed trees. Native
trees may be more resistant to their native pests because of natural
defenses that have evolved over eons. Hence, Asian ash trees may be a
source of resistance genes.

Researchers at The Ohio State University including Daniel Herms,
Department of Entomology, and Enrico Bonello, Department of Plant Pathology, are collaborating with colleagues at Michigan State University to investigate this possibility. An experimental ash planting was established in 2003 in Novi, Michigan, with trees donated by Bailey Nurseries, Inc., to compare resistance of native and Asian ashes to emerald ash borer, identify mechanisms of resistance, and determine the effects of drought and
other stressors on borer susceptibility. The planting includes white ash,
green ash, Manchurian ash, with which emerald ash borer shares an evolutionary history in Asia, and Northern Treasure ash (F. x Northern Treasure), which is a hybrid between native black ash and Manchurian ash.

Our a priori hypothesis is that the Asian ash will prove to be most resistant because of natural defenses resulting from coevolution with the insect. The inclusion of the native-Asian hybrid may provide insight into patterns of inheritance of resistance genes, and facilitate their identification. Identification of resistant genotypes will be critical for reforestation, as well as maintaining market demand for ash in the nursery industry. Identification of resistance mechanisms and their
relationship to whole tree physiology will facilitate screening, selection, and/or breeding of resistant trees, as well as cultural management of emerald ash borer in urban and natural forests.


The Plan to Eradicate Emerald Ash Borer

USDA-APHIS (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service) and their Canadian
counterparts are in the early stages of implementing a program to eradicate
emerald ash borer from North America. The plan in the core infestation area of southeast Michigan, where millions of trees are already infested, is to first contain the pest, then reduce beetle density, and finally eradicate the insect.

There are so many infested trees in the core infestation zone in southeast
Michigan that it will be physically impossible to remove them all
before insects can emerge. Rather the core infestation is being managed
following strategies similar to those used to manage large forest fires. A
"fire-break" will be created around the core to contain the infestation. Once contained within the fire-break, the infestation should extinguish itself by killing all of its host trees, thereby starving itself out of existence. The plan is for the fire-break to be wide enough to prevent emerald ash borer from being able to cross it in search of new hosts. The fire-break will be constructed by removing ash trees in a
zone around the periphery of the infestation, a task that will be
facilitated by routing it through areas with naturally low densities of ash such as agricultural land, industrialized areas, and large bodies of water. Surveys and research are ongoing to determine just where the fire-break should be located, and how wide it should be.

Preventing the artificial spread of emerald ash borer to new areas is
another major component of the eradication plan. Accordingly,
quarantines have been placed on infested sites in Michigan and Ohio that prohibit movement of ash trees, logs, branches, firewood, and untreated lumber. In August 2002, in response to the discovery of several isolated
infestations throughout the lower part of the state, Michigan also enacted a one year moratorium on the movement of all ash nursery stock from, into, and
within Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The Michigan Department of Agriculture,
Ohio Department of Agriculture, and USDA-APHIS are conducting systematic
surveys in order to rapidly detect any new outlier infestations.

Rapid elimination of these outlier infestations is also a critical aspect
of the eradication plan. Isolated infestations that flare up when "sparks" jump the fire-break will be quickly extinguished before they can become well established. This is the situation in Ohio, where a small
infestation was detected in Lucas County in February 2003. In response to this discovery, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, in accordance with their
responsibility under Ohio Revised Code to protect Ohio's plant industries
from exotic pests, immediately initiated an eradication program that was
completed by the end April before any adult beetles could emerge and
spread the infestation.

This program entailed removal and destruction of more than 8,000 ash
trees in a radius extending 1/4 mile surrounding the known infestation.
Since infested trees do not show external signs or symptoms of attack during the first year, there is no way to determine which trees in the vicinity of
infested trees were themselves infested. However, the presence of
D-shaped emergence holes on the obviously infested trees was evidence that females had emerged to lay eggs on other trees, making the existence of
asymptomatic carriers a certainty. Consequently, it was necessary to
cut even apparently healthy trees to destroy the insects lurking within
before they could emerge to infest even more trees. Bark removed from some of these asymptomatic trees confirmed that they were in fact infested. To destroy the insects, felled trees where chipped and then incinerated at a co-generation power plant.

The assumption behind this strategy was that a cutting zone with a
one-quarter (1/4) mile radius was sufficient to destroy the entire
emerald ash borer population, including insects in trees that had yet to show
symptoms of infestation. However, in the event that some emerald ash
borer adults had dispersed beyond one-quarter (1/4) mile, all ash trees just outside the cutting zone were treated preventively with the systemic
insecticide imidacloprid in April 2003. This treatment zone extended
from the edge of the cutting zone out to one-half (1 /2) mile from visibly
infested trees. The strategy was that any adult that escaped the cutting
program would lay their eggs in the adjacent zone of treated trees, where
their offspring would be killed by the insecticide.

Treating already infested trees with insecticides as an alternative to
destroying them was not a viable option, as it would not have prevented
adults from emerging and spreading to other trees. Insecticides are
effective against borers only when applied preventively, in advance of
infestations, and have no impact on borers already in the tree. This is
true even of the systemically-applied imidacloprid, which requires 6-8
weeks for uptake and distribution. Thus, it must be applied in early to
mid-spring to impact newly hatched larvae in July. By late summer, many
larvae have matured, ceased feeding, and moved to over-wintering sites in
the outer bark, where they would not be exposed to insecticide. Furthermore, larval feeding injures the xylem and phloem, which disrupts uptake and distribution of systemic insecticides by infested trees.

 

[Dan F]

Part IV

Should Trees Outside of Eradication Zones Be Treated with Preventive
Insecticide Applications?

Ohio State Extension personnel have received many questions from
homeowners and Green Industry professionals wondering if preventive insecticide applications are necessary in Ohio to protect ash trees from emerald ash borer. Members of the OSU Extension Nursery and Landscape and Turf Team, in consultation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture officials, have developed the following recommendation:

Currently, we do not recommend that any ash trees in Ohio be treated
with insecticides for emerald ash borer, even if the tree is in the immediate
vicinity of a known infestation.

The logic behind this recommendation, which may seem counter-intuitive,
is based on the interaction between the biology of the insect and regulatory
issues associated with the program to eradicate emerald ash borer from
North America. The situation is different in the quarantined counties
in Michigan (for reasons discussed below), where many property owners
within the core infestation zone are choosing to protect their trees with
insecticides. Emerald ash borer is an exotic insect that is currently regulated by USDA-APHIS, and is subject to eradication. Hence, if an infested tree
is discovered in Ohio, it will have to be removed and destroyed. Female
emerald ash borers are highly mobile and lay eggs on many trees. Infested
trees do not show any external symptoms during the first year of the
infestation. Therefore, in the vicinity of any tree showing visible signs of infestation, there will be many more trees that are infested but with no
external symptoms (asymptomatic carriers). Since there is no way to
tell if these trees are infested, all trees in the vicinity of the infested tree
will have to be removed and destroyed, as per eradication protocols, before
larvae mature and adults can emerge, even if they appear healthy. This
will be true even if that tree has been treated previously with insecticide, as research has shown that no insecticide is 100% effective against emerald ash borer.


But What About Trees in the Immediate Vicinity of Known Infestations?

As of December 2003, infestations have been discovered in Ohio in Lucas,
Defiance, Franklin, Paulding, and Wood Counties, and programs already have
or soon will be implemented by Ohio Department of Agriculture to eradicate
these infestations.

If the eradication programs are successful, it will not be necessary to
treat nearby trees with insecticides. People near an eradication zone
may be tempted to treat their trees as insurance in case an emerald ash
borer escapes the eradication program. However, if a borer does escape, it
is extremely unlikely that it will lay eggs only on trees that have been treated with insecticides, as they lay many eggs as they move from tree to
tree. If it does lay eggs even on one untreated tree in the same neighborhood as the treated tree, eventually the untreated tree will show
signs or symptoms of infestation, and will have to be destroyed. In this case, all trees in the vicinity of the infested tree will also have to be destroyed, even if they have been previously treated.

In the core infestation in southeast Michigan, the situation is different. Because there are too many infested trees to cut down as part of the eradication program (discussed above), and because property owners there are financially responsible for removal of dead trees on their property, many people in the core infestation zone are taking steps to protect their ash trees, including preventive insecticide applications.


In Closing

Emerald ash borer represents a lethal threat to ashes throughout their range in North America, and efforts to eradicate this invasive pest are under way in Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, and Maryland. Eradication is possible, but if these efforts are not successful, emerald ash borer will decimate ash in North America, with devastating economic and ecological impacts. The threat cannot be over-estimated.


References

Haack, R.A., E. Jendek, H. Liu, K.R. Marchant, T.R. Petrice, T.M. Poland,
and H. Ye. 2002. The emerald ash borer: a new exotic pest in North
America. Michigan Entomological Society Newsletter 47(3-4):1-5 (Sept.
2002).

McCullough, D.G., and D.L. Roberts. 2002. Emerald ash borer. Pest
Alert, USDA Forest Service State and Private Forestry Northeastern Area.
NA-PR-07-02.

USDA-APHIS. Federal Register 68(198), Tuesday, October 14, 2003, Rules
and Regulations, pp. 59082-59091. Emerald ash borer: quarantine and
regulations.

*************************************************************************

3. Additional Emerald Ash Borer Resources on the Web. There are
several good web sites that can provide more information and help regarding emerald ash borer. Check these out:

* USDA Forest Service Pest Alert - Emerald Ash Borer
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/eab/eab.htm

* USDA Forest Service - North Central Research Station
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/4501/eab/

* Ohio Department of Agriculture - Division of Plant Industry
http://www.ohioagriculture.gov/pubs/divs/plnt/curr/eab/PLNT-eabindex.stm

* North Central Pest Management Center
http://www.ncpmc.org/NewsAlerts/emeraldashborer.html

* Ohio State Experts on Emerald Ash Borer (Under "Headlines")
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/

* OSU Extension Ohioline - It's New
Four new fact sheets on EAB will be posted here under "It's New" within
the next couple of weeks. Check back for these sheets after about December
15.

 

[Dan F]

Part V

4. Upcoming Programs on Emerald Ash Borer

A. Invasive Plants and Destructive Insects; Economic and Ecological
Impacts - Saturday, January 10, 9 a.m.-12 noon. OSU Chadwick Arboretum
This program is open to the public as well as members of the green industry. Master Gardener volunteers who have specialized training will present programs on "Gypsy Moth" at 9 a.m. and "Invasive Plants" at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m., Dr. Dan Herms, OSU/OARDC Entomologist, will present a program on "Emerald Ash Borer."

This program will be held in the Kottman Hall Auditorium on the OSU
Columbus campus. Parking on campus is not a problem on Saturdays, is free
and is adjacent to the building. For a map to the building and parking lots, see http://hcs.osu.edu/directions.html. Fee of $5.00 per person payable at the door (no pre-registration required).http://hcs.osu.edu/directions.html. For questions, contact Mary
Maloney at 614-688-3479 or Jane Martin at 614-247-6046.

B. OSU Short Course, Tuesday, January 27, 10:40 a.m. - Columbus Convention
Center Dr. Dan Herms, OSU/OARDC Entomologist, will present a program titled "Emerald Ash Borer: The Beginning of the End of Ash in North America?"
For a Short Course program and registration form, see these web sites.
Short Course Schedule - http://www.onla.org/shortcrssched.pdf
Registration Form - http://www.onla.org/04regform.pdf

C. For OSU Extension Agents Only: Pesticide Applicator Training,
Agent Inservice, Wednesday, January 7, 12:45 p.m. - Ag. Admin. Auditorium,
OSU CampusThis program is for OSU Extension Agents, and is not open to the public. Dr. Dan Herms, OSU/OARDC Entomologist, will be presenting a
program titled "Emerald Ash Borer Update." Agents can register for the
program at the following web site:
http://pested.osu.edu/


*************************************************************************

5. Emerald Ash Borer Diagnostic Check-Off List. The following is a
list of signs and symptoms that will be helpful in diagnosing an emerald ash
borer infestation. It is important to keep in mind that native ash borers
are extremely common throughout the state, and the vast majority of
borer-infested ash trees in Ohio are infested with native borers. Thus
far, the very few emerald ash borer infestations found in Ohio are
extremely small and very localized, infesting only a handful of trees.


Diagnostic signs and symptoms specific to emerald ash borer:

1. Serpentine, S-shaped galleries tunneled just beneath the bark. The
galleries are etched into the underside of the bark, and the outer sapwood. Galleries are tightly packed with fine sawdust-like frass. They do not extend into the sapwood, as do those produced by the common native
clearwing or roundheaded borers that infest ash.
2. D-shaped emergence holes, one-eighth inch in diameter, through the bark. This symptom is very clear - emerald ash borer exit holes are
very distinct . If there is any doubt as to whether the holes are D-shaped,
then it is not emerald ash borer. Exit holes of native borers are either
round or oval, and much larger in diameter (one-quarter inch or greater).
3. Legless, flattened, heavily segmented, white to cream-colored
larvae (1 inch in length when mature) found beneath the bark of living trees.
Each larval segment is almost bell-shaped. The long narrow shape, flattened appearance, and distinct segmentation cause the larvae to resemble small tapeworms.


Diagnostic signs and symptoms consistent with emerald ash borer, but
could also be associated with other ash problems:

1. Thinning canopy, top dieback, leading to the death of the tree
within 2-3 years.
2. Thin, relatively short (2-5 inches long) vertical splits through the
bark of living trees.
3. Unnatural epicormic shoots sprouting from the main trunk and/or
from the base of the tree.
4. Unusually heavy woodpecker activity on living trees, particularly
in the winter.


***********************************************************************

Reporting Suspected Emerald Ash Borer Infestations:

The Ohio Department of Agriculture should be notified if the diagnostic
check-off list provides strong evidence that an emerald ash borer
infestation has been found. Strong support for an emerald ash borer
diagnosis means that signs and symptoms specific to emerald ash borer
were observed, including D-shaped emergence holes and serpentine galleries under the bark. An emerald ash borer diagnosis is not supported if the only signs and symptoms observed are those that can also be associated with other ash problems.

Contact Information for the ODA:

Special Emerald Ash Borer Hotline: 1-888-OhioEAB (1-888-644-6322)

Mailing Address:
Ohio Department of Agriculture
Plant Pest Control Section
Attn.: EAB
8995 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068



***********************************************************************
Where trade names are used, no discrimination is intended and no
endorsement by Ohio State University Extension is implied. Although
every attempt is made to produce information that is complete, timely, and accurate, the pesticide user bears responsibility of consulting the
pesticide label and adhering to those directions.

All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension
are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender,
age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate
Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension. TDD No.
800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868.

 

[Dan F]

More on the guy being charged.

This comes from http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2003112190121

I don't know how long the link will stay active, so I'll copy the text here.
--------------
Officials happy with penalties imposed in ash borer case

By TOM HENRY
BLADE STAFF WRITER

Officials battling the highly destructive emerald ash borer said they are thrilled that a Michigan judge recently imposed the maximum sentence on a landscaping firm found to be in violation of that state?s quarantine for shipping infested trees to Maryland this year.

A Dec. 10 sentence imposed on Stuart Leve, Inc., by Judge Brian MacKenzie of 52-1 District Court in Novi should show people that Michigan is committed to enforcing quarantines against moving ash trees and ash products, such as firewood, officials said.

"We?re hoping the decision in Michigan sends a message to growers and suppliers. Quarantines are there for a reason," Sue duPont, Maryland Department of Agriculture spokesman, said.

"Hopefully it will get people?s attention so they will know they can be held accountable for their actions when they violate quarantines," added Frank Fulgham, Virginia Department of Agriculture?s plant and pest services director.

Mr. Leve, the firm?s owner, did not return messages left on an answering machine at his landscape design-consulting firm in Oakland County, Michigan. He pleaded no contest in November to 123 counts of violating Michigan?s emerald ash borer quarantine and plant health laws.

His case is the first and only in which a landscaping firm has been prosecuted for violating the ban, James McRay, Michigan Department of Agriculture spokesman, said. "Generally, the nursery industry has been great cooperators," he said.

Judge MacKenzie fined Mr. Leve the maximum of $12,300 - $100 for each count - and ordered him to pay $16,000 in restitution to a Maryland nursery that unknowingly purchased infested trees from him. The judge also put Mr. Leve on probation for two years and ordered that he serve 200 hours of community service helping Oakland County remove dead ash trees, Mr. McRay said.

In addition, the judge left open the possibility of ordering Mr. Leve to pay thousands of dollars in restitution to Maryland and Virginia for surveying and other work they have encountered or will encounter as a direct result of the illegal shipment of 121 ash trees.

The 123 counts against Mr. Leve stem from the movement of those trees, plus two counts for improper inspection and certification, Mr. McRay said.

The shipments were made to a nursery in Maryland?s Prince George?s County on April 2 and 3. The nursery, unbeknownst it had acquired problem trees, sold some to landscaping projects in suburban Washington areas of Maryland and Virginia.

Officials are convinced the Maryland nursery was completely in the dark and faultless. Trees were confirmed as infested after an Aug. 28 inspection by a Maryland Department of Agriculture inspector, Ms. duPont said.

"Maryland and Virginia would not have the emerald ash borer now if it weren?t for the sale of these trees," Mr. McRay said.

Neither Maryland nor Virginia officials would commit to an estimate of their expenses, saying a lot depends on work that remains and whether the problem spreads. Virginia, which received fewer trees than Maryland, "probably put in $5,000 to $7,000 just in personnel for surveying so far," Mr. Fulgham said.

"It?s certainly something that has affected our operations here," Ms. duPont said. "It has taken up a lot of our time. We have been real busy tracing [records] back and forth with the U.S. Department of Agriculture," she said.

Numerous hours have been spent this fall destroying trees known to be infested or considered highly vulnerable, because of their proximity to trees carrying the Asian beetle?s larvae, Ms. duPont said.

Neither Maryland nor Virginia has a substantial ash industry. The primary role of ash in those states is for landscaping, officials said.

The situation is far different in Ohio, which has 3.8 billion ash trees covering 850,000 acres of the state?s eight million acres of woodlands. Should the insect careen out of control, it could deliver a blow to the state?s economy because Ohio is a major manufacturer of tool handles made from ash.

Ash is one of North America?s primary commercial hardwoods, used for flooring, cabinets, baseball bats, and other products. It also is one of the continent?s most popular landscaping trees because of its beauty, its tolerance to weather and soil conditions, and its resistance to gypsy moths and other pests, officials have said.

Michigan is the epicenter of the beetle?s infestation, with scattered outbreaks reported in Ohio and Ontario. The beetle could have emigrated to this part of North America as long as a decade ago aboard wood that Michigan had imported from Asia, officials have said.

But even as far away as Maryland, officials had heard enough horror stories to be on the lookout long before that state fell victim to the quarantine violation.

"It?s one of the most significant, if not the most significant incident, in terms of an introduction of a forest pest in a long time," Ms. duPont said. "The results could be devastating if it?s not contained."

Ohio?s incidents have included sites in Lucas, Wood, Defiance, and Paulding counties, and the Columbus area.

 

[Dan F]

I guess I did kinda search this one out, I followed a link with the last article I posted.

Came from: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031128/NEWS06/31128003
Here's the text:
-------------
Borer eradication battle to focus on Hicksville

HICKSVILLE, Ohio ? The Ohio Department of Agriculture will mark ash trees in Hicksville as part of a campaign to eradicate the emerald ash borer in western Defiance County.
Department officials said some of the marked trees would be cut down next year, even if they aren?t infested, to stop the spread of the Asian insect.
The insect was found in ash trees in Hicksville in August. Agriculture Secretary Fred Dailey said the marking program will include efforts to eradicate the ash borer and save as many trees as possible.
Gov. Bob Taft signed an emergency order in September to prohibit the importation of ash trees, logs, firewood, branches, wood chips, and bark from Michigan into Ohio. He also placed Hicksville Township, two properties in Paulding County, and two properties in Wood County under quarantines.

 

[Guy Meilleur]

In all these articles I didn't see a mention of a predator that could be bred and imported. Did I miss something? Any US predators that could be propagated and used?

Mention was made that all ash sp's are hosts. I've heard anecdotal observations that the Marshall's Seedless and other clones are very susceptible and the native ones much less so.

The govt's power to enter private property and whack private trees is scary. The citrus canker in FL casued the needless loss of many trees, and the public was up in arms about it. Anything like that in OH?

 

[DadF]

Guy,
The EAB has really sprung up quick and wasn't identified until it had big toe in the door. If I remember right there has been some attempts to research natural pests/predators from the country of origin(China) but alas politics have gotten in the way. I think China is still stung from some of the export inspections we imposed after the long horned beetle made it's debut and is still balking at letting "researchers" in.

 

[Dan F]

While looking through the conference packet for the upcoming INLA Professional Landscape and Nursery Trade Show (PLANTS), I noticed mention of a new website through Purdue related to EAB. A quick search turned up this up and I wanted to pass it along:

http://www.entm.purdue.edu/Emerald_Ash_Borer/index.htm

I haven't had time to go through the entire site yet, but I'm sure it's a good site....


Dan

 

[Dan F]

Not sure where this paper is out of exactly...
----------------------------------
Emerald ash borer discovered in SJ Twp.

By MICHAEL ELIASOHN / H-P Staff Writer

ST. JOSEPH -- State crews were to start checking today to see if the emerald ash borer has spread from where four trees infested by the insect were found in St. Joseph Township.

Emerald ash borers, now in their larval stage, are wood-boring beetles that kill ash trees.
They have killed almost 6 million trees so far in southeastern Michigan, according to the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

Mike Hansen, supervisor of the MDA regional office in Scottdale, said he found the four infested trees at Chili's restaurant on Hilltop Road.

He said the trees were from a nursery in southeastern Michigan and planted by an out-of-town landscaper before the restaurant opened in October 2000.

"These trees were moved in prior to identifying emerald ash borer was even a problem in the United States," Hansen said.

He said it wasn't until June 2002 that it was discovered that emerald ash borers were the reason ash trees were dying in southeastern Michigan.

Hansen, a forester, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked him to check trees that came from the nursery where emerald ash borer was found. He discovered the infested trees Nov. 26, and some nearby infested ash trees have been discovered since then.

Larvae were removed from the trees by a USDA/MDA team and sent first to a USDA lab, then to a Michigan State University entomologist for positive identification.

At this time of year, according to the MDA Web site, identification comes from D-shaped holes made by the borers when they emerge, by vertical splits in the bark, and by S-shaped tunnels under the bark.

The beetles emerge from mid-May through late July and make a hole less than a quarter-inch in diameter, Hansen said.

Hansen said three MDA survey teams will check all ash trees within a half-mile of Chili's to see if the infestation has spread.

He expects the work will take two or three days.

If they find evidence of the borers in additional trees, then they will check the ash trees within a half-mile radius of those trees.

"We believe emerald ash borer adults will fly up to a half-mile in a year," Hansen said. If no additional infested trees are found within that distance from Chili's, "the likelihood they went beyond a half mile is very low."

Rocque Emlong of Emlong Inc. in Benton Harbor, which does commercial and residential landscape consulting and planting, said ash trees in this area "aren't uncommon," but maples are more popular.

He said the local discovery of emerald ash borers may put a damper on planting ash trees. "If this hadn't come up, I would plant ash," he said.

MDA spokeswoman Sara Linsmeier-Wurfel said the insect hasn't been found elsewhere in Berrien County or in Allegan, Cass or Van Buren counties.

The 13 counties under quarantine because of emerald ash borer form the southeastern corner of the Lower Peninsula, with Shiawassee County at the northwest corner of the quarantined area.

The quarantine means ash trees, branches, firewood and wood chips larger than 1 inch in diameter cannot be removed from those counties.

Hanson said once all the ash trees within a half-mile of the infested trees are mapped, they will be scheduled for removal before the adult borers emerge starting in mid-May.

Once they emerge, they eat leaves and lay as many as 60-90 eggs over their two-to-three-week life span, according to the Michigan State University Extension Web site.

The larvae hatch in 7-10 days, burrow through the bark and then tunnel back and forth in the wood, which eventually kills the tree by destroying its water- and nutrient-conducting vessels.

The larvae continue to feed into fall, then change into adult beetles starting in late April of the following year, repeating the cycle.

Hanson said since the life cycle takes a year, infested trees won't show damage the first year.

Therefore, to ensure that all emerald ash borer infestation is removed, all ash trees within a half-mile of where infested trees are found have to be removed.

The wood will be ground up and burned in a power plant that burns wood chips to generate electricity.

Hansen said the MDA will hold meetings for affected tree owners and local officials to explain the tree removal process. "At this point, it's best to be patient," he advised.

The state is seeking $42 million from the USDA to pay for removing the ash trees and related expenses.

Copyright © 2004 The Herald-Palladium

 

[Dan F]

The axe hangs over ash trees

Ottawa is to award contracts in a bid to halt the spread of the deadly ash borer.

DEBORA VAN BRENK, Free Press Regional Reporter 2004-01-20 04:14:34

The axeman cometh as soon as next week for 63,705 healthy ash trees in west Chatham-Kent. In a bid to stop the march eastward of the deadly emerald ash borer, federal officials are poised to award wood-cutting contracts for 40 tracts in a 300-square-kilometre area.

"The earliest the trees could start falling would be the 26th of
January," said Ken Marchant, emerald ash borer expert with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Foresters interested in the job were invited to bid on any or all of 40 rural and urban wooded patches within the ash-free zone, he said.

They also were bidding on six "active suppression zones" in east Essex County, where infested trees have been found.

The CFIA is leading the drive to create an ash-free zone, a $10-million project to keep the insect from leaving deep Southwestern Ontario.

As miserable as the weather may be, it's ideal for cutting trees, he
said. "It's best that it's frozen solid to minimize the risk."

The contracts stipulate the job must be done by March 31, before
dormant beetles become active.

The ash borers burrow beneath the bark of ash trees and kill them by sucking out nutrients.

The beetle has destroyed about 200,000 trees in Essex and millions more in Michigan. It also has been found in small pockets of Chatham-Kent.

Creating an ash-free zone east of the infested area will create a
"firewall" the insect can't hop, officials hope.

But the healthy trees aren't going down in Chatham-Kent without a fight by landowners, who say the zone is arbitrary and probably a waste of time and money.

Bev Phelps, whose property near Merlin will lose 1,544 trees, said she hopes the feds will change their minds. "We're going to try to fight to the bitter end if we can."

A potential bidder was on the family's property yesterday to assess the cost to remove the Phelps's trees.

Phelps is convinced the ash borer will advance into the rest of the
region with or without an ash-free zone. "I think they're just wasting their money. They should be getting rid of the bug instead of cutting down all these trees."

Residents had sought federal money to compensate for the loss of their trees. Ash is a popular shade tree and is used commercially in furniture-making and flooring.

Marchant said "there's no chance of that" compensation because, if left open to attack from the borer, the trees would die soon anyhow and lose their commercial value.

Most of the wood will be chipped on site but landowners are allowed to swing their own deal -- with the permission of CFIA inspectors and forester co-operation -- to arrange that their trees be cut down and squared.

Once the bark is removed to a depth of 2.5 centimetres, the restriction against moving the lumber is lifted, Marchant said. The trimmed logs may then be sold to a lumber mill.

If the homeowner doesn't want the wood chips, which will by then be too small to support the ash borer, they'll be used as fuel pellets or as greenhouse mulch or compost.

Marchant said every ash tree in the zone has been counted and precisely mapped by satellite.

He's seen foresters cut, chip and remove thousands of trees in a single day, so the March 31 deadline shouldn't be difficult to meet, Marchant said. "It's not a big, herculean task as you would think," he said.

ASH BORER FACTS

- The emerald ash borer, found two summers ago in Michigan, Windsor and parts of nearby Essex County, attacks all species of ash except mountain ash.

- Named for its bright green colour, the beetle lays its eggs on the
bark or in crevices of trees and larvae tunnel under the bark and feed on the nutrients, eventually killing the tree.

Copyright (c) The London Free Press 2001,2002,2003

 

[tony marks]

with the kinda money u guyts talkin .. either an natural enemy or some way to make it kill its own self is what ill hope for..
just an observer but i docarry pesticide license.. my sympathies are with those affected