Emerald Ash Borer
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The Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive, wood-boring beetle that attacks ash trees, was positively identified for the first time in Wisconsin in August 2008. The beetle and beetle larvae were found at a private home in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. For current information on emerald ash borer in Wisconsin please visit the Wisconsin Emerald Ash Borer Information Source. Here you will find detailed information on emerald ash borer biology and host preference, firewood and quarantine regulations, management options and information on what Wisconsin is doing about emerald ash borer. |
Emerald Ash Borer News
In 2011, keep preparing for the arrival of emerald ash borer
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 12:26:00 PM
Planning to travel this weekend? Leave the firewood at home.
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, May 24, 2011 at 12:18:39 PM
Experimental release of stingless parasitic wasps
may help Wisconsin control emerald ash borer
Issued by DNR Central Office on Thursday, May 05, 2011 at 4:38:28 PM
Dec. 30 deadline for Urban Forestry Council Award nominations
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, December 07, 2010 at 11:53:40 AM
Polar Bears International commits $30,000 to its latest
‘Tree Planting for Climate Change’ efforts in Wisconsin
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 at 12:05:34 PM
Introduction
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive, wood-boring beetle that attacks ash trees, was positively identified for the first time in Wisconsin in Ozaukee and Washington Counties in August 2008. Since then, a second infestation has been identified in Vernon County in April 2009. This exotic insect, native to Asia, was first detected in North American in Detroit, Michigan in 2002. Since this initial detection, the emerald ash borer has killed tens of millions of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) in the Great Lakes region and beyond (see distribution map).
Emerald Ash Borer's Effects
The emerald ash borer belongs to a group of insects known as metallic wood-boring beetles (Buprestidae). The beetle's immature or larval form spends its life feeding beneath the bark of ash trees. As a result, the ash tree host suffers extensive damage to its vascular system, depriving the tree's crown of water and nutrients. Research conducted by Michigan State University and the USDA Forest Service has shown the emerald ash borer attacks both stressed and healthy ash trees, typically killing its host in three to five years. All ash species in Wisconsin are attacked, including white, green black and blue ash. Mountain ash (Sorbus spp.), not a true ash, is unaffected.
Emerald Ash Borer Spreads Through Firewood
Emerald ash borer is a slow-moving insect, dispersing just one-half to two miles annually on its own. However, this rate of dispersal can be greatly accelerated by humans transporting ash firewood, nursery stock and other wood products long distances. This inadvertent transportation of emerald ash borer larvae in infested materials by people has greatly increased the distribution of emerald ash borer across the country (see distribution map). Since the detection of emerald ash borer, firewood and quarantine regulations have been put in place to try to slow the spread of this pest.
Wisconsin quarantine map
Click image to view full-size PDF [250KB]
We Need Your Help
Wisconsin’s forests include an estimated 757 million ash trees, according to state forest inventory and analysis data. An estimated 5.2 million ash trees are planted in urban areas. As a component of the state’s northern hardwood, oak-hickory, and bottomland hardwood forests, ash trees are a valuable Wisconsin resource. The potential destruction emerald ash borers could bring to the state is unfathomable.
Information about the location of EAB infestations in Wisconsin includes information on counties where state EAB quarantine regulations are in effect. Anyone traveling outside of Wisconsin will want to view a multi-jurisdiction map that identifies EAB infestations in other states and in Canada. The Cooperative Emerald Ash Borer Project multi-jurisdictional map identifies where federal quarantine rules are in effect.
Quarantine rules play a key role in preventing the spread of emerald ash borer from infested to non-infested areas. State and federal quarantine rules control the movement of ash materials, such as firewood, seedlings, logs, mulch, and products made from ash. (Emerald ash borers are move very short distances on their own. The movement of EAB-infested materials has resulted in the spread of emerald ash borers from one jurisdiction to another and from state to state.) An important way to prevent the spread of EAB -- and avoid costly fines -- is adhering to all quarantine requirements.
Early detection and isolation of infestations are our best defenses against the ecological and economic damage caused by emerald ash borer. The development of the Wisconsin Emerald Ash Borer Response Plan [PDF, 350KB] and the more comprehensive Strategic Plan for Emerald Ash Borer Program Activities [exit DNR] has been completed by the State of Wisconsin Emerald Ash Borer Advisory Group. The Advisory Group is a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR), Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), University of Wisconsin, UW-Extension, USDA-APHIS and USDA-Forest Service. Despite this large interagency effort fronting the fight against emerald ash borer, we still need your help looking for emerald ash borer due to the elusive behavior of this pest!
Information on this website can help you identify emerald ash borers, EAB look-alikes, and other pests and diseases that can damage or kill trees. If you suspect an emerald ash borer infestation, please report it immediately by calling the Emerald Ash Borer Hotline at 1-800-462-2803. You can also report your concerns online.
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