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The Emerald Ash Borer
A tiny killer of ash trees hits southwestern Ontario
Revised 2/04
The emerald ash borer, a tiny, bright-green insect native to Asia, is a newly discovered threat to
Canada’s trees and forests. The insect was first identified in June 2002, as the culprit in a large die-off of ash trees in southeast Michigan. Canadian authorities then found that the borer was also killing ash trees in the Windsor area of southwestern Ontario.
The beetle spends part of its life beneath the bark of the ash tree, chewing a serpentine pattern of channels between the bark and the sapwood. This causes the tree to die, often within one or two growing seasons. Like many other invasive insect species, the emerald ash borer is thought to have arrived in North America in packing material from Asia.
What to look for
The adult emerald ash borer is metallic green, 8.5 to 13.5 mm long and slender.
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Adult emerald ash borer |
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Ash trees attacked by the insect may exhibit a thinning crown with yellow leaves. Trees may also show a profuse growth in long shoots from the trunk, with very large leaves. When the adult insects emerge from a tree they leave small, D-shaped exit holes.
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Ash trees in decline |
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Ash tree showing basal sprouting. |
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Very little scientific knowledge is available about the emerald ash borer, which could create challenges in attempting to control it. It’s not conclusively known if the insect will attack other tree species. There are also no indications at this stage that chemical treatments are an effective means of control.
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Emerald ash borer galleries.
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What’s being done
The eradication or control of introduced plant pests is one of the mandates of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. As a first step to stop the spread of this pest, the federal government agency has restricted the movement of ash trees and related articles out of the infested area, which includes the City of Windsor and the Towns of Amherstburg, Essex, LaSalle and Tecumseh. Surveys indicate that this is the only area in Canada where the emerald ash borer is known to occur.
The Emerald Ash Borer Infested Places Order came into effect in October 2002. The order restricts the movement of ash (Fraxinus species) nursery stock, trees, logs, lumber and wood with bark attached, wood chips or bark chips, firewood of all tree species and vehicles that were used to carry these articles (that have not been treated to eliminate emerald ash borer).
Firewood of all tree species is covered by the order due to the difficulty of identifying trees once they are cut into firewood. The insect can survive in all its life stages in firewood. Because firewood is often moved and stored, this tree-killing pest could be spread.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is working with provincial, municipal and U.S. authorities to eradicate or control the emerald ash borer. Activities include surveys, research, awareness and control strategies. More information on the emerald ash borer can be found on the agency’s Web site <www.inspection.gc.ca> or by calling (519) 250-6546 (Windsor area) or toll-free at 1-800-442-2342.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency provided the information and photographs for this article.
This article appeared in the Winter/Spring 2003 (Volume 30) edition of the S&W Report the newsletter of the Ontario Woodlot Association.
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Eradication Efforts Begin to Control Unwanted Visitors - NEW!!!
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and its partners continue to do battle with the emerald ash borer longhorned beetle in Essex County. Here is an update on their efforts to contain and eradicate this invasive exotic pest.
Emerald Ash Borer
In southwestern Ontario, the CFIA is in the early stages of implementing a strategy to contain the emerald ash borer (EAB). The main components of the strategy consist of a number of initiatives including:
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Within the infested area (Essex County) CFIA has imposed restrictions regarding the movement of ash nursery stock, trees, logs, and debris, as well as firewood, regardless of species. Firewood importation from the US is also being closely monitored with CFIA regulations being enforced. Moving ash from the quarantine area to other areas of Canada requires a Movement Certificate from the CFIA.
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Within Essex County infested ash trees will be removed to lower the EAB population. Over time the beetle will be gradually starved of food and hopefully die.
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A 10-kilometre wide ash-free zone will be established along the eastern edge of Essex County next to Chatham-Kent County. Within this area approximately 62,000 ash trees will be destroyed and the stumps will be treated with a herbicide to prevent re-growth (sprouting). The objective is to establish a barrier (by eliminating the feeding and breeding material) that is almost impossible for the EAB to cross. It is hoped that this will prevent further natural spread eastward to other areas of Ontario.
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Cutting within the ash-free zone has recently started. For landowners affected by this “cut and destroy” strategy two common questions have arisen. First, landowners are asking whether they can utilize their ash trees, and second, will their ash trees be replaced?
In regards to utilizing the ash trees cut on their property, the CFIA are encouraging landowners to contact them as soon as possible to make suitable arrangements. It is important to note that the objective of the tree removal is to reduce the risk of further infestation, and there are conditions a landowner must meet. For example, ash trees cut must be treated on site (i.e. have their bark removed and at least one inch of underlying wood removed), and all slabs and bark must be destroyed (chipped or burned) under CFIA supervision prior to March 31, 2004.
The recent announcement (February 19, 2004) by the Ministry of Natural Resources to allocate $1 million dollars for a tree-planting program to assist in the re-greening of the hardest hit areas affected by the Asian Longhorned Beetle and the emerald ash borer is good news and a positive first step. However, given the size and the area affected by these two pests, and the number of trees being destroyed, more funding will be needed to adequately replace tress on both public and private lands in these areas.
What Can Landowners Do?
The ALHB and EAB pose a serious threat to our forests. Should either of these pests become established, the economic toll would be devastating, and the impact on the health and biodiversity of Ontario’s forested landscape significant. The Ontario Woodlot Association has written to the Honourable Bob Spelling, Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister, requesting that the Government of Canada work quickly to commit the necessary resources to contain and eradicate these pests and to engage the public’s cooperation through tree replacement programs. We are encouraging other groups and individuals to write to encourage the federal government to take this threat to our forests seriously.
One last word. Remember, if you believe that you have seen either of these two pests it is important that you report it to the CFIA by calling 1-800-442-2342. For more information on either the ALHB or EAB, visit the CFIA Web site at <www.inspection.gc.ca>.
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