This Web site is part of a multinational effort in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Ontario and Quebec to bring you the latest information about emerald ash borer.

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Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Emerald ash borer is also established in Windsor, Ontario, was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004, northern Illinois and Maryland in 2006, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2007, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia in summer 2008, and Minnesota and New York in the spring of 2009. Since its discovery, EAB has:

• Killed tens of millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
• Caused regulatory agencies and the USDA to enforce quarantines (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) and fines to prevent potentially infested ash trees, logs or hardwood firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs.
• Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars.

MOVING FIREWOOD – CAN YOU? SHOULD YOU?

What to know

With all the states now declaring infestations of emerald ash borer, it's easy to get confused about moving firewood to campgrounds or vacation destinations.

What research has shown is that accidental infestations of emerald ash borer and other wood pests often occurs because of the movement of infested firewood and other wood products to non-infested areas. It is handy and convenient to take firewood from your own property when you go camping or on vacation, but it is also wise to make sure you aren't spreading pests that are destroying millions of trees and creating millions of dollars worth of damage. Our forests and communities need our help to keep trees healthy. Trees provide shade, oxygen, a place to rest, habitat for birds and animals, and countless other benefits.

What you can do

Please heed quarantine regulations in your county and/or state. Information on quarantines can be found on the left-side link "Moving Firewood." If you are headed off to a campground, call ahead to see if you are allowed to bring your own firewood. Many national forest areas, and state and private campgrounds are limiting or forbidding the use of outside firewood in an effort to stop the spread of wood pests and diseases.

If you do bring your own firewood into an area that is either not infested, or even if there may be infestations, please burn it all before you leave to stop the spread of any wood pests or diseases from spreading to nearby trees.

Cooperation is the key to slowing the spread of EAB and other wood pests and diseases to our trees. This Web site has many resources that can help you understand what the threat of EAB means to North America's ash tree resource.

Enjoy our natural resources responsibly this summer!

What's Being Done:
A concerted effort to stop EAB has been launched by state and federal officials.

• Research is being conducted at universities, as well, to understand the beetle's life cycle and find ways to detect new infestations, control EAB adults and larvae, and contain the infestation.
• Quarantines are in place to prevent infested ash firewood, logs or nursery trees from being transported and starting new infestations.

This Web site provides information from Michigan State University, Purdue University, the Ohio State University, the Michigan and Ohio departments of Agriculture; the Michigan, Indiana and Ohio departments of Natural Resources; the USDA Forest Service; the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS); and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Our goal is to help you find answers to your questions about EAB. We also provide links to other EAB-related Web sites. Please check this site often because information changes frequently.

What to know about EAB:

• It attacks only ash trees (Fraxinus spp.).
• Adult Beetles are metallic green and about 1/2-inch long.
• Adults leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge in spring.
• Woodpeckers like EAB larvae; heavy woodpecker damage on ash trees may be a sign of infestation.
• Firewood cannot be moved in many areas of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin because of the EAB quarantine.
• It probably came from Asia in wood packing material.

If you suspect you may have EAB in your ash trees, call these numbers:

• Michigan — 1-866-325-0023
• Illinois — Contact your county Extension office. The Illinois Department of Agriculture also will offer a toll-free hotline at 1-800-641-3934 for extension-confirmed infestations
• Indiana — 1-866-NO-EXOTIC
• Iowa — 1-515-294-5963
• Kentucky — 1-859-257-5838
• Maryland — University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center — 1-800-342-2507 or the Maryland Department of Agriculture — 1-410-841-5920
• Minnesota — 1-888-545-6684 (Arrest-the-Pest Hotline)
• Missouri — 1-866-716-9974
• New York — 1-866-640-0652
• Ohio — 1-888-OHIO-EAB
• Pennsylvania — 1-866-253-7189
• Virginia — The Forest Pest Branch of Fairfax County at 1-703-324-5304, the Arlington Office of Virginia Cooperative Extension at 1-703-228-6423 or 1-703-228-6400, or the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 1-804-786-3515
• West Virginia — 1-304-254-2941
• Wisconsin — 1-800-462-2803
• USDA APHIS — 1-866-322-4512
• Canada — 1-866-463-6017

Scientists are studying methods of controlling EAB. The latest information on insecticide evaluations can help homeowners, arborists and landscapers decide if and how they can treat trees for EAB in certain areas in southeastern Michigan.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Using insecticides to control EAB on ash trees is an option in Michigan and the EAB quarantined counties in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. If your tree is located within an area designated for eradication or suppression activities, it may be removed by regulatory agencies even if it has been treated. In those cases where government-ordered tree removals occur within the contiguous EAB quarantine counties, consideration will be given to ash trees treated by certified applicators utilizing methods and materials recommended by Michigan State University. If your ash trees are located outside of this area in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois or Ohio, using insecticides may not be recommended. If you are not sure about the regulatory status of your area or whether you should consider insecticides, please contact your county Extension office.