EAB

[Tinker]

I have been following several problems with invasives for several years. Mostly the ones i have been closest to have involved with are concerning lawn and other plants I am working within my own business.  Most recently, i have been watching the progress across the northeastern states of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).  As of last summer, the closet infestations were about 30 miles west of Connecticut in Eastern counties of New York State.  The closet being Dutchess County close to the Hudson River.

This weekend, I have been informed (WTIC radio as well as discussions with my tree arborist) that the beetles have been found in atleast three towns in New Haven County. This is the first for New England States. There are other borer type insects already in New England that are raising havok with several of our hardwoods. Most notably is the big horned bug (beetle) that has been decimating forests in SE Massachusetts. The EAB has the potential to wipe out the ash forest.  It is already happening in several other NE states and a couple of Canadian provinces.  I have been checking several websites for information and have found there are some solutions that are possible for property owners who have several ash trees on their property.  The beetle has only been known in US (Michigan) since 2002, but has been found in areas of 16 states and, as mentioned, 2 provinces of Canada.  This should be of concern, not only to foresters, but homeowners and, very close to woodworkers.

The sites i have looked at so far over the weekend are:
www.emeraldashborer.info      CTPA web site  

Other site i have been alerted to are:
CAES web site       DEEP web site  (I have not checked these two, but will do later in the day)

A year ago, i was being told there is no defense against this beetle (as has been the story with several other invasives)  In studying the EAB web site, i find there are things that can be successful in the battle.  We as homeowners (as well as renters) can save atleast some of our ash trees.  The studies are not all inclusive, but, from the advances between past seasons and what we know now, there is hope that atleast some ash trees will survive.  Last fall, i visited friends in Ohio and witnessed first hand the devastation wreaked by this 1/2" long bug.  Some of you WW'ers in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and other states east of the Mississippi have probably seen worse.  Oh, BTW, I noticed on the map of infestations that as of last updating, there are two counties in Missouri and one in Iowa that have reported. The bug is traveling west as well.

I am a landscaper (slowly phasing out of the biz) and so i try to have atleast minimal knowledge of such events, but this is a problem that could be of interest to others as well.  Especially, now that progress has been made recently in the battle, i hope others can become aware of an ability to take up the battle, even if for saving only one tree.  I have two, one in my yard and one in my neighbor's yard that are both in the 24" to 30" diameter range.
Tinker

 

[peter halle]

Thanks Tinker!

I've been meaning to read up on these whereas I see several of the purple traps in the trees on my daily drives.  I only have a couple of young ash trees, but I really should keep an I open.  It is sad to see the vast number of ash trees affected and also in harms way.  Baltimore, Maryland will be hard hit.

Peter

 

[Tinker]

Peter,
Without going back for review, I think i noticed several areas of Virginia are also under invasion.
I love working with ash.  It will be heart breaking to have to feed whole trees to my woodstove.
Tinker

 

[Tinker]

Here is a copy of the letter that was copied to me from my arborist.  i think it explains a lot better than what I was able above.  This was a warning to Connecticut arborists, but it is probably close to directives to ther affected states as well.

As most CTPA members are probably now aware, the emerald ash borer has now been found in Connecticut.  Specifically, it has been found in Prospect, Naugatuck and Bethany, primarily through the use of the biosurveillance technique, by which wasps that capture beetles as food for their young are monitored to see if they are carrying back any EAB.  Staff at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, working with volunteers, were mainly responsible for this find.

Now that the beetle is here - what next?  There are probably three things that arborists and other tree care workers should be aware of - the quarantine that will likely quickly be placed around the movement of ash wood and nursery stock out of New Haven County, means by which ash trees can be treated to prevent or kill eab in the tree, and, as a general note, the important role we can play with regards to public awareness with respect to this insect.

New Haven County Quarantine:  the details of this quarantine have not yet been announced, although it will likely cover the movement of firewood, logs, yard waste or ash nursery stock out of the County.  For instance, will it cover just ash wood, or all wood?  Will chips be exempt?  Will debarked wood be exempt?

Once these details are known, we will try to get word out as quickly as possible.  Meanwhile, be aware that the quarantine is on its way.  The determination and announcement of these details is up to the CT Agricultural Experiment Station.  Please monitor their website (www.ct.gov/caes) and also that of DEEP (www.ct.gov/deep) for the latest information.

Treating Infested and Potentially Infested Ash Trees:  Unlike the situation with ALB, the goal with EAB is not eradication of the insect - we will have to learn to live with it even as we seek to limit its spread.  Specimen ash trees in the landscape may be treated both preventatively and also, to kill an infestation that is in its early stages.  There is an excellent document that covers the details of how to treat and what to treat with, that is available through www.emeraldashborer.info.  This document, entitled "Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer" is available directly at http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf

There is also a very strong position statement on the value of treating ash trees rather than removing them, also on the website: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/conserve_ash.pdf

Be an Informational Resource for the Public:  As Tom Worthley, extension forester with UConn, likes to say, anywhere you go - a picnic, your church, the local corner gathering place - you are likely to be the person in the room most knowledgeable about trees.  In circumstances such as these, it is important that you keep yourself informed and that you help others understand the situation.

There is very good information on the emeraldashborer.info web site, and information is posted on the CTPA web site, the CAES web site and the DEEP web site.  Also, CTPA has trips planned to visit the ALB infested area on August 7th and the area of NYS near Saugerties on September 6th.  These will be excellent opportunities to learn more about how other states are responding to an infestation of an exotic insect.

Good luck!  Stay vigilant!

 

[peter halle]

Wayne,

I see that the updated quarantine areas of Virginia have been updated very recently.  Areas contiguous to Maryland were the first, and just very recently the areas of Virginia that have furniture and cabinetry production facilities near the North Carolina border.  My guess is that latest is due to the movement of green infested logs or Northern infestation from the areas of North Carolina (furniture producing).

Just like everything else while living in central Va - one hundred miles away.  Mountains, ocean, capital, emerald ash borers.

Peter