Emerald Ash Borer

The latest threat to our Urban Forest is the Emerald Ash Borer, a very small destructive beetle.   This insect has been steadily moving across the State of Ohio .  The adult is a metallic green and just about a ½ inch in length.  It can easily fit on a penny. 

This pest is extremely destructive – it is responsible for the death of over 15 million ash trees in the State of Michigan alone.  The adults lay their eggs in bark crevices, the eggs hatch and tape worm-like larvae emerges.  The larvae tunnel under the bark, where they stay, feeding and pupating until they emerge as adults in May.  

  The tunneling causes obstructions in the vascular system of the tree – so food and water are limited.  The tree will decline gradually and will eventually die.

 Symptoms to look for:

-        Wood peckers – increase in activity, as they feed on larvae

-        Dead branches near the top of the tree and leafy shoots growing out the lower trunk 

-        D-shaped holes in trunk

 For more information on this insect, treatment options and documented spread see the following web sites:

http://www.emeraldashborer.info

 Evidence of Emerald Ash Borer activity  has been confirmed in Strongsville.