FAQs

  1. Where did the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle come from? The natural range of Agrilus planipennis, or the emerald ash borer, is eastern Russia, northern China, Japan and Korea. Before June of 2002, it had never been found in North America.
  2. How did it get here? We don’t know for sure, but it most likely came in ash wood used for stabilizing cargo in ships, or for packing or crating heavy consumer products.
  3. What types of trees does the EAB attack? In North America, it has only been found in ash trees. Trees in woodlots as well as landscaped areas are affected. Larval galleries have been found in trees or branches measuring as little as 1″ in diameter. All species of ash in North America are at risk.
  4. Where has EAB been found? It has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, Canada.
  5. What happens to infested ash trees? The canopy of infested trees begins to thin because the borer destroys the water and nutrient-conducting tissues under the bark. Heavily infested trees exhibit canopy dieback, usually starting at the top of the tree. One-third to one-half of the branches may die in one year. Most of the canopy will be dead within two years of when symptoms are first observed. Sometimes ash trees push out sprouts from the trunk after the upper portions of the tree dies. Although difficult to see, the adult beetles leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge.
  6. What do emerald ash borers look like? The adult beetle is dark metallic green in color, ½” long and 1/8″ wide. View the EAB life cycle photos.
  7. How is this pest spread? While EAB adults are strong fliers, most only fly short distances (about a ½ mile) and will not spread far on their own. Most new infestations are a result of human behavior. Many new infestations have been started when people unknowingly moved infested ash nursery stock, logs, or firewood into uninfested areas.
  8. How long has the emerald ash borer been in the United States? No one knows for sure when the EAB arrived in southeastern Michigan, but the scientific community now believes the beetle may have been present for up to 12 years before it was detected. This belief is based on the widespread distribution and destruction found when the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officially identified the EAB in the summer of 2002.
  9. What is being done on about this new pest? Many Federal and State agencies, universities and other cooperators are working together to detect, control and prevent the human-assisted spread of EAB. Strategies to manage the pest currently focus on survey activities using a new detection tool, a panel trap, along with regulatory activities and public awareness campaigns aimed at preventing human-assisted movement of the EAB. Outreach efforts have emphasized “Don’t Move Firewood,” as firewood movement is the primary method of artificial spread of this pest. Research also continues to identify effective new tools for managing and controlling EAB populations.
  10. How big a problem is EAB? The EAB poses an enormous threat to our urban and rural forests. If it is not contained and managed, the impact of the beetle in North America will be similar to the devastation caused by two fungal diseases, Chestnut blight and Dutch Elm disease, which destroyed dominant species of woodland and urban forests in the 20th century. Non-native organisms, like the EAB, are more destructive than native organisms because they do not have natural population controls such as parasites, predators or diseases. Having had no previous contact with the organisms, host plants have not had time to adapt and develop effective defenses against them.
  11. Who do I call to get more information on the Emerald Ash Borer beetle or to report an infested tree? For more information and to report signs of EAB, contact your State Plant Health Director. You may also contact the USDA Emerald Ash Borer Hotline toll-free at 1-866-322-4512. To find out if EAB is in your state see our map.