The color sounds pretty, but the threat is ugly. The emerald ash borer, an insect that has caused $11.6 million of damage in Michigan, has arrived close to home and could threaten ash trees in our area.
Washington Township is joining with agencies across the state to warn people about the threat and educate them about how to respond to it.
“If the spread of the borer continues across Ohio it will have an immediate impact on our landscape and our pocket book. In Ohio, we’re living virtually in the middle of an ash forest,” said Sandy Spees, Washington Township Visual Improvement Program (VIP) consultant. Ohio boasts 3.8 billion ash trees with a standing timber value estimated at more than $1 billion.
So far, the infestation has occurred primarily in the northwest part of the state. “To contain the spread of this insect, citizens should have the best information available,” said Spees, adding a note of caution. “No one can be certain what will happen to the ash trees. Today we have American elm trees but the Dutch elms are gone due to disease.”
Quarantines have restricted approximately $2 million in sale of ash trees in Michigan and Ohio. In April 2003, Lucas County, Ohio spent $300,000 to help eradicate the pest. “ This is truly an expensive gem of the insect world,” say Spees, adding that the emerald ash borer can kill an otherwise healthy tree in two to four years. “The tree may appear to be healthy while the larva is munching away under the bark where it lurks. By the time we see the identifying D-shaped holes in the bark it is too late to save the tree.”
Weakened or stressed ash trees are most likely to be infested with native borer colonies, however, the EAB can attack all major eastern North American ash species -- even the healthy ones. As with other non-native insects it probably was brought to the United States from Asia in infested ash products or pallets. Much of the spread has been attributed to the movement of infested nursery stock, logs or firewood, she said.
The Washington Township Visual Improvement Program Committee offered an educational program in March for residents with ash trees and the township currently is developing a management program to respond to the EAB threat.
For more information about the emerald ash borer and efforts to protect against it, check the Ohio State University Extension website at: http://www.ashalert.osu.edu/