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Tree-killing
pest has now spread to 53 Missouri counties.
COLUMBIA,
Mo. – Foresters with the Missouri Department of
Conservation (MDC), in conjunction with the Missouri and U.S. departments of
agriculture, have confirmed the presence of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in 11 new
counties across Missouri. New detections have been confirmed in Adair, Callaway,
Cape Girardeau, Cole, Greene, Jefferson, Lewis, Lincoln, Pike, Polk, and Warren
counties. Since EAB was first detected in Missouri in July 2008, the exotic,
tree-killing pest has spread to a total of 53 Missouri counties and the City of
St. Louis.
EAB is a small, metallic green beetle native to Asia that
only attacks ash trees. The adult beetle does very little damage. In its larval
stage, however, EAB bores into the vascular layer of ash trees, creating
distinct S-shaped galleries that slowly cut off the trees’ flow of water and
nutrients and eventually cause the trees to die. Unfortunately, EAB kills more
than 99 percent of the ash trees it attacks within 3-4 years of infestation.
MDC Forest Entomologist Robbie Doerhoff urges people who own
ash trees in areas where EAB has been found to make a plan now to either treat
or remove those trees.
“If you have a healthy, high-value ash tree in your yard, it
can be treated with insecticides that will protect it from EAB. However, these
treatments must be applied every year or two to guarantee protection,” said
Doerhoff. “For some ash trees, especially those that have already lost more
than 50 percent of their leaves and branches, the best option is removal, followed
by replanting with a different species, such as an oak native to Missouri.”
Several insecticide treatment options are available,
including some do-it-yourself methods. However, it’s important to note that
insecticides available at home improvement stores work best on trees smaller
than 20-inches in trunk diameter (measured 4.5-feet from the ground). Trees larger
than 20-inches in trunk diameter require insecticides available only to
licensed applicators in order to provide adequate protection from EAB.
“If you decide to treat your ash tree, make sure you use a
pesticide labeled to kill EAB and that you apply it at the right time of year,”
said Doerhoff. “Chemical treatments are most effective in early spring when a
tree’s vascular system is better able to take up the insecticide. In late
summer, and especially during drought conditions like we’re currently experiencing
across most of Missouri, treatments may not work properly.”
Doerhoff advises that now is a good time to develop a plan,
and if appropriate, contact a professional to get on a list for a spring
treatment. For large trees that need to be treated by a professional, use a
reputable company and get a couple of bids. Some neighborhoods receive
discounts if several people have ash trees treated by the same company.
Ash trees that are removed should be disposed of locally to
prevent the accidental spread of EAB to new locations. EAB can emerge from ash
firewood and logs for up to two years after harvest, so don’t give EAB a free
ride to your favorite camping locations.
Buy firewood near where you plan to burn it!
For more information on protecting your ash tree from EAB,
download the Emerald Ash Borer Management
Guide for Missouri Homeowners at short.mdc.mo.gov/ZSq.
MDC encourages Missourians to learn to identify signs of EAB
and report possible infestations in counties where the pest has not yet been
confirmed. For a map of EAB’s spread across Missouri and detailed information
on identification, visit eab.missouri.edu.
Report suspected EAB damage in new counties to a local MDC forester, call MDC’s
Forest Pest Hotline at 866-716-9974, or email forest.health@mdc.mo.gov.
MDC works with you and for you to sustain healthy forests,
fish, and wildlife.
 The
invasive, exotic Emerald Ash Borer has been detected in 11 new Missouri
counties, bringing its total spread to 53 Missouri counties and the City of St.
Louis.
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