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Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald Ash Borer

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a newly discovered non-native insect pest of American ash trees. In July 2002, it was identified in southeastern Michigan and may have been in Michigan for as long as five years.

The insect is a beetle from Asia and it has been assigned the scientific name Agrilus planipennis.

The emerald ash borer lays eggs within the ash wood tree. When the eggs hatch, larvae gnaw at layers beneath the tree's bark, cutting off the tree's nourishment. The larvae can girdle and kill just branches or the entire tree.

Emerald Ash borer appears to infest all types of ash trees. In its native range, it is also known to infest Asian walnut and elm species.

This insect can kill trees quickly. A confounding factor in looking for this pest is that ash trees have been showing symptoms of decline for more than 25 years.

There is also a native ash borer to contend with. The banded ash borer and the ash/lilac borer are common pests of stressed ash trees. Both are clearwing moths, and the larvae produce larger, rounded exit holes, compared to the small (3-4 mm) D-shaped exit hole left by emerging adult emerald ash borers.

Ash Tree LeavesBesides the D-shaped exit holes found on the bark of infected trees, other evidence of emerald ash borer includes frass-filled larval tunnels in a serpentine pattern in the outer sapwood and phloem of the trunk and branches and 5-10 cm vertical splits in the bark above these larval galleries.

Once the adult emerald ash borer emerges from the tree, it can travel about a half-mile a year in search of another ash tree. Officials say the borer's expanding range is most likely caused by human intervention. Ash tree firewood carries the larvae. Campers buy the firewood from infected areas, then move on to an un-infected area and leave the firewood at the campsite when they leave. It is important not to transport firewood from camp site to camp site.

Ash trees were a popular landscape tree during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. Today however, it is not advised to plant new ash trees.

The beetle has caused the destruction of millions of ash trees in Ohio, Michigan and Indiana. It is thought to have originally traveled to Michigan in shipping containers from China, and was first discovered near Detroit in 2002.

The federal government allocated about $20 million to fight the borer in 2005 compared to about $38 million in 2004.

Read also: Identifying Emerald Ash Borer infestation

Emerald Ash Borer Ban Sign

Treatment for Emerald Ash Borer Infestations

  • Inspect your ash trees for signs of damage—D shaped exit holes, thinning crown, and dead limbs.

  • While many believe the only preventative method for stopping the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer is to clear-cut trees, there is another alternative. Recent Michigan State University (MSU) research, conducted in conjunction with the USDA, confirmed Imicide® and Inject-A-Cide B® from the J.J. Mauget Co. are effective for the control of the Emerald Ash Borer.

  • Mauget’s enclosed micro infusion system works from the inside out, so it’s sensitive to the environment and less harmful to the tree.

  • Any professional applicator can be trained to use Mauget’s micro-infusion technology, which only requires a power drill, gloves, tape measure, rubber mallet, protective eyewear, and Mauget’s feeder tubes and capsules.

  • A new drill bit is provided with every case of Mauget products for an accurate application every time.

For more information about Mauget Injections >>