The Emerald Ash Bore is a beautiful green beetle that eats the foliage of ash trees. The larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer, however, eats the inner bark of the ash trees which can kill the trees. Therefore, they are considered pests.

Emerald Ash Borers are also not native to the United States but rather are only found naturally in Asia. In Asia, the Emerald Ash Borer has natural predators which help to keep the beetle’s population in check. In the United States, however, there are no predators of the Ash Borer. There are also no diseases that the beetle is susceptible to, and, therefore, their population has grown out of control, damaging ash trees.

To date, hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America have been killed. The cost to municipalities, property owners, and forest industries is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. (Source: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/)

Most scientists think that the first Emerald Ash Borer arrived in this Country in wood packing material that was carried on cargo ships or airplanes from Asia about 15 years ago. They were first found in Michigan in 2002. Since then, they have spread throughout the Country and are found in more than 20 States, including New Jersey. (Click here for a map of locations where Emerald Ash Borers have been found.)

The USDA established regulations to prevent the Emerald Ash Borer from coming in to the United States once its presence was known. Infected ash trees, logs and firewood are not permitted to leave areas where the Emerald Ash Borer has been found.

 

What can you do?

Do you have ash trees on your property?

The branches are found opposite one another which is uncommon in native New Jersey trees – only found in maple, ash, dogwood, and horse chestnut trees. Notice on this picture that the two branches with red arrows are found opposite each other, as are the two branches with yellow arrows.

The leaves of ash trees are called compound. There is a bud at the base of a leaf stem and several small leaflets coming from there. The leaflets will be opposite each other and there are usually around 5-9 leaflets.

If you have ash trees on your property, they are at risk for infection. If the tree is already infected, it is best to remove the tree. If it is not infected, it can be treated to prevent the Emerald Ash Borer from infecting it.

The Board of Certified Tree Experts at 732-833-0325 can help you find an professional who can treat your tree.