Emerald Ash Borer Alert

Emerald ash borer will be emerging from infested ash trees very soon. It is time to be alert to this insect. As the adults emerge they leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark of an infested ash. The adults will feed some on ash leaves, mate, females will lay eggs. When the eggs hatch the larvae will chew through the bark into the cambium layer where it will feed. It will then pupate in the inner bark in the fall and over winter in that stage. In late May to mid-June the adults will emerge head first through the D-shaped hole they have chewed.

To help monitor or detect the presence of emerald ash borer the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry will again be putting up purple “traps” in selected areas. You may have seen some of these traps already. The adult beetles are attracted to the trap and when they land they are stuck on the sticky substance that is on the surface of the trap. Crews will periodically inspect these traps for adult beetles. The traps will not attract emerald ash borer into the area, it will only attract beetles that may already be present. These traps will only work if they are not disturbed so we encourage you not to touch, move or disturb them in any way. Also, be on the alert for adult beetles or D-shaped exit holes in ash trees. Other symptoms include: dieback in the top of the tree (similar to ash yellows and ash decline), heavy sprouting from the lower portions of the tree, heavy woodpecker activity and splitting of bark. If you see any of these or other symptoms (visit the Bradford County Extension website and click on the emerald ash borer picture to go to an excellent web site about the borer for more info and symptoms) call your county Penn State Cooperative Extension office, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture office or Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry office. If you believe you have an emerald ash borer please take it to one of the offices listed above. MAKE SURE IT IS DEAD DO NOT TRANSPORT LIVE BEETLES. Put it in a bottle of alcohol for transport. You can get me at 570.265.2896 or rsh7@psu.edu if you have questions or think you have emerald ash borer.

In addition to the pest being found in Mifflin County, PA, it is still spreading in the Midwest. It was discovered in St. Paul, MN in May. Fifty-nine trees were removed in St. Paul and the quarantine was expanded to two counties in Minnesota.