Nick Bossenbroek
4/11/2011
It is believed that the emerald ash borer arrived in Michigan in the 1990’s off a boat coming from Asia. Emerald ash borer is found in 13 states ranging from Minnesota to New York, Missouri to Maryland. There are 12 different species of ash in the U.S. and EAB will infest and kill any ash trees it encounters. The health of the tree prior to infestation is no concern to the beetle. It will use sick, dyeing or perfectly healthy trees. Since its arrival the beetle has already destroyed millions of Ash trees and is a major concern for the near future.
There are over 750 million ash trees found in our state of Wisconsin, all of which are vulnerable to this menace. Quarantine has been set up the following counties: Brown, Crawford, Vernon, Fond du Lac, Sheboygan, Washington, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Kenosha, and Racine counties. “This means hardwood firewood that has been stored, purchased, or harvested in the following areas may not be moved out of these areas in Wisconsin” (WEAB). These beetles will no doubt have a detrimental effect on our state and national forests. The signs of an emerald ash borer infected tree may be subtle. The most distinguishable characteristic of an infected tree is a very tiny “D” shaped whole, created by adult larva when they exit their tunnel homes in the spring.
There are a couple ways to protect ash trees from these pests. Purple “kite looking” boxes can be placed in ash trees to attract and trap insects. This is a relatively easy way to help control the spread of EAB. An aerial spray Bt, has been found to kill EAB but has to be repeatedly sprayed and may toxic effects on other wildlife, and is also extremely expensive to use. The cost of spraying would be in the millions, and if other plants and animals are affected then even more money would have to be put in to restore these organisms. Another idea was to bring in an Asian wasp to feed on these beetles. Bringing in an exotic species to control an invasive species is extremely risky and in this case I don’t believe it will act fast or effective enough. The wasp would interact with more than just the beetles and could become a problem of its own, much like the cane toads of Australia. The best way to slow the spread of EAB is to not move fire would from any county in any state. If you have fire wood then burn it at a close location or use the firewood that’s already at the place you’re going to. I know it’s easy to throw some wood in the pick-up and drive away but it’s not the environmentally friendly thing to do. Also, if you have ash trees in your yard, put up a purple box. It may look a little silly but it’ll be a reminder that you’re helping out the environment. Finally, if you notice signs of a tree that may be infected, tell your local DNR to come check it out. Helping the environment may not be easy, but nothing worthwhile comes easy.
WORK CITED
"Emerald Ash Borer Resource Guide - Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection." IBM HTTP Server. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
2 comments:
All true, Emerald Ash Borer is a large problem that we have to address. It is spreading every year. Not moving firewood is very helpful to do especially if it is ash wood. One of the problems are identify ash wood once it is cut and split. As forester or a natural resource student we maybe easily identify species of tree. But, the typical person off of the street most likely won't be able too. So, the best method would be to just have all firewood not be able to be transported.
There were some very interesting facts in this article, I had no idea Wisconsin had so many ash trees. Prevention of the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer is essential in protecting these trees but we need to be careful about which means of prevention we use. I definitely agree with you about the introduction of the Asian wasp to help control the species, it would most likely cause more problems if introduced. The purple boxes and the firewood restrictions seem like the safest way to combat the problem. This issue is getting more and more publicity over the years and I think it's only a matter of time before the entire state will be under more firewood restrictions.
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