As of late the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has slowly crept its way into our vocabulary. Many of you may have seen the purple traps set up throughout the county and the greater northern area of the state. The media and our govermental entities have given EAB a lot of attention here in the Midwest, and for good reason. Since its discovery in the Detroit, MI area in 2002 it has killed an estimated 100 million Ash trees in Michigan, Otnario, Indiana, and Ohio. It is now creeping into neighboring states. We are currently in the midst of the largest invasive species awareness campaign in Midwest history.
The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) attacks trees in the Ash (Fraxinus) genus only, a genus that comprises roughly 30 percent of our woodlands here in Northwest Illinois. The Ash trees found in this area include White Ash (F. americana) found in upland habitats, Green Ash (F. pennsyvanica) found in low lying areas, and Black Ash (F. nigra). If you have any of these species please let me know. The White Ash is used for making baseball bats and Green Ash is utilized by guitar makers due to its tonal properties.
EAB is native to Asia and arrived here in packing material or in pallets, similar to how the Asian Longhorn Beetle arrived in Chicago in 1998. Unlike the Asian Longhorn Beetle, EAB has the ability to alter the composition and character of the countryside in the Midwest. This can effect fall color change, plant life on the woodland floor, and will create a new market for Ash wood. Ash trees are also a popular street tree due to their ability to withstand poor soil conditions and salt. Their disapearence will alter the appearance of nieghborhood streetscapes. The residual effects of this disease can be astounding.
As scary as it sounds it has two comparables. Both in recent memory, both equally destructive and both accidentally introduced. Dutch Elm Disease was first reported in the United States in 1928, with the fungus-carrying beetles believed to have arrived in a shipment of logs from the Netherlands. The disease spread slowly from New England westward and southward, reaching the Detroit area in 1950, the Chicago area by 1960, and Minneapolis by 1970. Chestnut Blight arrived in America around 1900 and by 1950 had killed almost every Chestnut tree in existance, mainly on the East Coast and Appalachia where the tree is most common. Emerald Ash Borer will cause similar destruction if not contained.
Please refer to the websites listed below to see what you can do to identify the disease and prevent the spread.
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/ USDA Forest Service
http://www.agr.state.il.us/eab/ IL. Dept. of Agriculture’s Site
http://emeraldashborer.wi.gov/ The Comprehensive Wisconsin Site
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_ash_borer The Complete ’skinny’
