Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in New York in June 2009 near Randolph, in western Cattaraugus County. The rapid spread of the beetle through North America is most likely due to the transport of infested firewood, ash nursery stock, unprocessed ash logs, and other ash products. In an effort to slow the continued spread of EAB, both Federal and New York State agencies have instituted quarantines of infested areas to regulate the transport of ash products.

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Ash and elm trees play important roles in the U.S. economy, culture, and environment. In the eastern United States, elm (especially American elm) and ash trees are in trouble because of two threats: the emerald ash borer (an insect that attacks ash) and Dutch elm disease (caused by a fungus that sickens elms). These pests are causing ash and elm trees to die off quickly. Because elm and ash trees serve important ecological roles where they are found, the loss of these trees can lead to profound changes across urban and rural environments.

See also: EAB - Latest Information for updates of regulated areas and new confirmations in Canada

See also: Includes Invasive Plants and Insects Fact Sheets for additional species to help control invasive species in Maryland

The emerald ash borer is a half-inch long metallic green beetle with the scientific name Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Larvae of this beetle feed under the bark of ash trees. Their feeding eventually girdles and kills branches and entire trees. Emerald ash borer was first identified in North America in southeastern Michigan in 2002.

Native to Asia, the Emerald Ash Borer is an exotic beetle that was unknown in North America until June 2002 when it was discovered as the cause for the decline of many ash trees in southeast Michigan and neighboring Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has since been found in several states from the east coast spanning across the midwest and in June 2006, we discovered that it had taken up residence in Illinois.

The emerald ash borer is a metallic green beetle that bores into ash trees feeding on tissues beneath the bark, ultimately killing the tree. It is not native to the United States and was first found in the U.S. near Detroit, Michigan in 2002. In 2013, the emerald ash borer was found in Granville, Person, Vance, and Warren counties in North Carolina. In 2015 it was found in many additional counties, and a statewide EAB quarantine went into effect in North Carolina.

The Emerald ash borer was first found in Connecticut during the week of July 16, 2012. Since that first find in Prospect, EAB has been found in many other parts of the state, particularly in towns in central and western Connecticut. DEEP, the CT Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA APHIS PPQ and the U.S. Forest Service are working together with local partners to slow the spread of the insect and to take steps to minimize its impact. This will be a long-term effort on the part of all involved.

See also: Insect Factsheets for more resources

See also: For more information about Invasive Tree Pests (insects and diseases) that are not native to Missouri

Emerald Ash Borer was discovered in New Jersey in May 2014 in Somerset County, and as of October 2015 has also been found in Bergen, Burlington, Essex, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Monmouth counties. Infestations throughout the U.S. and Canada have killed tens of millions of ash trees since 2002. Report signs of the beetle to the Department of Agriculture at 609-406-6939.

IPM of Midwest Landscapes is available for educating growers, landscapers, managers, and consumers in the principles of IPM and its application to managing the over 150 common insect species in Midwest landscapes.

See also: IPM Scouting in Woody Landscape Plants for more pests and diseases

Use this website to find out where in Indiana the emerald ash borer (EAB) is located, how to combat this invasive pest, and what you can do to preserve ash trees in Indiana. To report a find of EAB in Indiana, call Indiana DNR toll-free 1-866-NO-EXOTIC.

Officials with the Office of the State Entomologist in the University of Kentucky Entomology Department on May 22, 2009 announced two confirmed occurrences in Kentucky of emerald ash borer, an invasive insect pest of ash trees. These are the first findings of this destructive insect in the state.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has confirmed that emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered during a site inspection in Omaha's Pulaski Park on June 6, 2016. Nebraska becomes the 27th state to confirm the presence of EAB, joining neighboring states of Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Colorado.

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an exotic, invasive, wood-boring insect that infests and kills native North American ash trees, both in forests and landscape plantings. With EAB now in several areas of the Show-Me State - and its ability to hitchhike on firewood - the probability of it spreading to noninfected areas in the state is high.