Watch Out for the EMERALD ASH BORER!

The Emerald Ash Borer is a little insect that is destroying ash trees in the Indiana and Michigan at the same phenomenal rate that Dutch Elm Disease has destroyed our beautiful American Elm Trees. In fact, since the Emerald Ash Borer insect was first discovered in the Midwest in 2002, more than 20 million ash trees are now dead or dying!! The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is a non-native insect from Asia that threatens the forests of North America. In North America, EAB attacks only ash trees.

So far, millions of ash trees have been killed in Michigan and Indiana where the infestation is the most widespread. Eradication and containment activities are currently underway in an effort to stop the spread of the emerald ash borer. It is critical to this effort that infestations spread by firewood or nursery stock are detected early. In order to do this, resource managers in uninfested areas must be familiar with signs and symptoms of EAB.

The Ash Borer is not a threat to human health, but it is important to report any infestation immediately, so it doesn't spread. The Emerald Ash Borer typically moves only short distances by flying, but it can survive long distances in transit on ash nursery stock, or ash logs you might purchase for firewood, especially from another state where millions of trees have already been infested and destroyed.

What to do if you have an ash tree in your yard? Please check it several times a year! The Emerald Ash Borer is difficult to detect in newly-infested trees. Signs of infestation include the presence of metallic-green beetles about half the diameter of a penny on or around ash trees. Also, the tree's leaf-cover starts to look thinner and the leaves start to turn yellow. There are small D-shaped holes to be found on the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree. Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to first contact their County Extension Office, or Autumn-Acres Tree Service for removal.

Distinguishing Characteristics of Ash Trees:
All the ashes have compound leaves, with one leaflet at the end of the stem and the other leaflets placed exactly opposite each other along the main stem. Black Ash leaflets do not have separate small stems attaching the leaflets to the main stem. Green Ash leaflets are evenly green on both surfaces and are toothed (a little jagged along the edge of the leaf). Pumpkin Ash has velvety hairy twigs and usually the leaflets are not toothed. Red Ash has hairy leaf stalks and toothed leaflets. White Ash has leaflets paler in color on the underside than on the top of the leaf.