For a tiny insect, the emerald ash borer is sure causing a big fuss.
New York is recognizing Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week this year from Sunday, May 19, to Saturday, May 25. Residents and visitors are being encouraged to become more aware about the invasive insect and its destructive potential towards ash trees. There are around 900 million ash trees statewide and environmental officials are hoping to save as many as possible by mitigating the spread of emerald ash borers.
In 2002, the invasive species was first found in the U.S. in southeastern Michigan, but less than two years ago it made a local appearance.
In October 2011, the state Department of Environmental Conservation confirmed the first discovery of the beetle in Albany County. The invasive insect was found on private property near the CSX rail yard in Selkirk. The first confirmed report in the state was in June 2009, when the bug was found off of Exit 16 of I-86.
“That infestation in Albany County has been further delineated since then … but no separate instances have been found in Albany County, yet,” said Jason Denham, a forest health specialist in DEC’s Division of Lands and Forests. “The emerald ash borer is going to continue to be here until it expands its range in North America.”
Sue Pezzolla, of Albany County Cornell Cooperative Extension, said spotting an infestation early is important to containing the problem.
“One of our concerns is if people don’t know about it and they are not paying much attention to their landscape … within a certain amount of months it can become a hazard,” Pezzolla said.
One of the biggest concerns for residents with ash trees on their property is safety, she said, because a dying tree can come crashing down on a home. Ash wood is used to make a variety of things, such as furniture or baseball bats, so the trees hold a practical value, too.
One measure already being taken to slow the spread of the ash borer is the state’s firewood regulations, which restrict the movement of any untreated firewood to less than 50 miles. Ash products and firewood also can’t be moved out from quarantined areas.
Pezzolla said people seem to be more aware of the problem and have brought several suspected borer samples to Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Voorheesville office.
“The public is more aware of this from my perspective here at the office,” she said. “We have a lot of information we can hand out to people to help them take a look at their tress.”
To learn more about the emerald ash borer visit the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s website: dec.ny.gov/animals/74604.html
The damage from emerald ash borers is caused when the insect feeds in tunnels below the tree’s bark during the larvae stage. These tunnels then interfere with the tree’s transport of water and nutrients, which leads to branches and then the tree dying.
Adult beetles leave “D” shaped exit holes on the bark of branches and at the trunk. Other noticeable signs of infestation are tree canopies dying or yellowing and widespread sprouting from a tree’s roots and trunk. Damage from woodpeckers could be present from the bird feeding on larvae under the bark.
Infestation is tackled differently depending on how widespread it has become. More precise and costly methods are available for saving individual trees, including chemically treating the tree.
“I got this 200-year-old ash tree that my grandfather planted and I want to keep it alive as long as possible,” Denham said.
Experts are research how to control and ultimately stop the emerald ash borer from spreading, but a “magic bullet” hasn’t been discovered yet, Denham said. He said the state is trying to stop the insect’s spread as a more permanent solution is developed.
The state has adapted the federal SLAM (Slow Ash Mortality) plan to stop the bug from spreading. It involves a variety of tactics including removing infested trees, marking and monitoring infestation boundaries and researching insecticides.
“We are trying to buy time by doing that,” Denham said.