 On February 27, 2018, authorities of
the State of Vermont announced that the first evidence of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) was confirmed in
their state. The discovery was made by a
private consulting forester who noticed tell-tale woodpecker activity, known as
blonding, on ash trees in a private forest.
He further investigated the affected trees by pulling back the loose
bark. He saw the characteristic S-shaped
galleries made by emerald ash borer larvae and took pictures of it. He then submitted a report and uploaded the
photos through the VT Invasives online report form. Authorities on the receiving end saw the
photos and immediately went to the area to investigate. In order to declare a first find of such an
important pest, examples of the actual insect need to be submitted to a
National Identifier at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They submitted emerald ash borer larvae that
they were able to extract from the tree.
Points to ponder:
- The find was
made by a private citizen who had been to a talk or a training about emerald
ash borer and learned to recognize signs of an infestation.
- The citizen
took good pictures of the suspect infestation and knew where to submit the
report.
- The find was
made during a time of year when adult beetles are not active (in fact, not even
“formed” yet).
- The find was
made in an area that one would not consider high risk (high risk areas for emerald
ash borer introductions are near camps, campgrounds, industrial parks, along major
transportation corridors, etc.).
- The area
where it was found did not border any quarantined area, thus dismissing natural
spread as the cause of the introduction.
Emerald ash borer is now found in 32 states, but has still not been confirmed in Maine.
It is important to find emerald ash borer when the infestation is young to provide the most options for management.
From the facts of the find in Vermont, emerald ash borer can be found anywhere, by anyone, and at any time of the year.
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