Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis)

[Jumper]

There was an intersting program on Ontario Public TV last night on efforts to prevent the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) from an area in sw Ontario. What a mess cutting down EVERY ash tree to make an ash free belt and thus supposedly prevent this pest's spread. Anyone involved with this? Some controversy as people are understandably upset about having their ashes removed and woodlots ruined and chipped up, the mess left behind.Apparently there are some insecticides that work, but they are not licensed for use in Canada.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

There are pages of info on the USDA websites, it has really destroyed the Detroit area, and is in NY and NJ now too.

The clear a 1 mile radius from a known infestation. In some containment areas they are allowing off lable application of imidicloroprid (SP?) (Merit and the like) on specimine trees. It has to be caught in the first year I understand, or there will be too much vascular damage.

I've heard rumors that it is in WI some where, but not in infestation levels.

A good ROT is to not move any ash far from the cutting sight. Export/import of campfire wood is prohibited and they are doing spotchecks and fining people in those areas. That seems to have been the biggest vector of the pest as far as transmitting it to other regions of the state. People bring their own wood, dont use it all, then leave it for the next person to use.

 

[PWB]

I'm in the area, and work for one of the affected municipalities. The initial attempt involved cutting a 5km strip all the way from Lake Erie to Lake St. Clair. A lot of stuff was chipped, and we hear rumours that logs were hauled to sawmills across the border, to the benefit of the contractors, not the affected landowners.

The chips were piled in Tilbury (inside the affected area) in a municipal yard (work controlled by the federal government). In a move that I personnally see as a big screwup, the municipality gave away the chips to anyone and everyone by the truckload, because of consistent complaints from the ratepayers in the area. I believe this led to the further spread of the insects beyond the ash free zone.

This year they have gone the perimeter around affected areas route. Chips (as far as I know) are being stored in a municipal yard on the Dillon sideroad just west of Chatham.

Me and my probably 200 ash trees are about 20 miles east, with no symptoms (YET!!!)

I think it's time to consider cutting them before the government does. About 2 months ago we put signs up on every road out of the county that prohibit moving firewood of any typs ou tof the county.

 

[Jumper]

Agree with the comments about the chips-this program showed the mess that was left behind after the govt got through with destroying every ash on someone's land, and they left hug piles of what were possibly contaminated chips lying around everywhere. The woodlot had turned into a swamp to the point that the maples this owner tried to plan keeled over sideways because of the boggy ground.

 

[JeffE]

This is one exotic pest that calls for extreme measures, or we will lose ash on this continent the way we lost chestnuts. The infestations have been absolutely devastating in Michigan forests.

I'm involved in an EAB monitoring program in FL, putting out survey traps for early detection. It's thought that the beetle was in SE Michigan for several years before it was detected and confirmed as the reason ash trees were dying. By that time, the outbreak had taken off and the beetles had the upper hand.

Even many of the experts are pessimistic about control about this point, but if we don't try, then those ash trees will almost certainly be lost anyway.