If you live in the Midwest, you have probably heard of the emerald ash borer (EAB) and the havoc it has caused on ash trees.
Believing to have originated from imported shipping material made from ash, this exotic beetle was first identified in Michigan where it’s destruction started. Since then, it has spread to surrounding states and Canada killing millions of ash trees.
EAB’s are only attracted to ash trees and they will kill every ash tree if not treated with a preventative insecticide.
Identifying an ash tree:
- Branches and buds are opposite of each other not alternating or staggered
- Compound leaves, which are composed of leaflets instead of a single leaf
Some visual signs of EAB infestation:
- Dieback of leaves at the top of the tree
- Vertical splits in the bark
- Tiny D-shaped exit holes in the tree’s bark
- Curvy S-shaped channels under the bark
- Epicormic shoots at the base of the tree
- Woodpecker damage on the bark “flecking”
To find out more, contact your local county extension office. Purdue University also has information here.
