{"id":757,"date":"2016-06-18T10:15:23","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T10:15:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/termirepel.com\/blog\/?p=757"},"modified":"2016-06-18T10:15:23","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T10:15:23","slug":"havoc-of-emerald-ash-borer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.termirepel.com\/blog\/havoc-of-emerald-ash-borer\/","title":{"rendered":"Havoc of emerald ash borer!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a metallic green beetle that bores into ash treesfeeding on tissues beneath the bark, ultimately killing the tree. The emerald ash borer,\u00a0Agrilus planipennis<\/em>, is a very destructive insect pest of ash trees (Fraxinus<\/em>\u00a0spp.), the only known hosts of this borer in \"download\"North America. This exotic borer is a native of Asia with its natural range including China, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, the Russian Far East and Taiwan.<\/p>\n

EABs generally have a one-year life cycle although that can be extended to two years in a vigorously growing host. After feeding on leaves, adults mate and females lay eggs on the bark or into small cracks. Eggs hatch in 7 to 10 days. The whitish larvae, called flatheaded borers, tunnel under the bark creating a winding, S-shaped galleries in the phloem and outer sapwood. These tunnels girdle the trunk and branches, interrupting the flow of water and nutrients. The larvae feed until fall and then overwinter as prepupal larvae.<\/p>\n

EAB populations can quickly rise to damaging levels. After initial infestation, all ash trees are expected to die in an area within 10 years without control measures.\u00a0Every North American ash species shows susceptibility to EAB as North American species planted in China also shows high mortality due to EAB infestation.<\/p>\n

Host species include green ash, white ash, black ash, blue ash, and pumpkin ash. Tens of millions of ash trees have been lost to this pest, which usually kills ash trees within 3-4 years of infestation.<\/p>\n

Green ash\u00a0and the\u00a0black ash\u00a0trees are preferred by EAB.\u00a0White ash\u00a0is also killed rapidly, but usually only after all green and black ash trees are eliminated.\u00a0Blue ash\u00a0displays some resistance to the emerald ash borer by forming callus tissue around EAB\u00a0galleries but is eventually killed. Many of the specialized predators and parasitoids that suppressed EAB populations in Asia are not present in North America. Predators and parasitoids native to North America do not sufficiently suppress EAB, so populations continue to grow.\u00a0EAB populations can spread 20\u00a0km (12\u00a0mi) a year.\u00a0However, it primarily spreads to longer distances by transport of firewood and other wood products that contain ash bark, which allows EAB to reach new areas and create satellite populations outside of the main infestation.<\/p>\n

EAB threatens the entire North American\u00a0Fraxinus\u00a0genus. It has killed at least tens of millions of ash trees so far and threatens to kill most of the 8.7 billion ash trees throughout North America. Emerald ash borer kills young trees several years before reaching their seeding age of 10 years.\u00a0The loss of ash from an ecosystem can result in increased numbers of invasive plants, changes in soil nutrients, and effects on species that feed on ash.<\/p>\n

Ash wood is greatly valued for its strength and elasticity and is often used for baseball bats, bows, tool handles, and other products that require durability, strength, and resilience. Green ash is planted widely as a landscape tree in urban areas and is a valuable native component of wetland areas. Ash foliage and seeds are fed upon by numerous animals as well as butterfly and moth caterpillars. And these valuable ash trees have a huge threat from EAB.<\/p>\n

Damage and efforts to control the spread of EAB have affected businesses that sell ash trees or wood products, property owners, and local or state governments.\u00a0Quarantines can limit the transport of ash trees and products, but economic impacts are especially high for urban and residential areas due to treatment or removal costs and decreased land value from dying trees. Costs for managing these trees can fall upon homeowners or local municipalities. For municipalities, removing large numbers of dead or infested trees at once is costly.<\/p>\n

Let us look below news articles that show EABs are threatening our trees:<\/p>\n