Emerald Ash Borer Beetle

The Facts About Emerald Ash Borer Treatment

What is the Emerald Ash Borer?

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks ash trees. From late May though early August, the beetle deposits its tiny eggs along the lower portions of the main branches and the trunk, as well as inside any cracks or crevices. The adult beetle is ⅜” – ½” long, has a flattened back and is dark metallic green in color.

The beetle has killed tens of millions of trees in the United States since its arrival from Asia in the late 1990s.

The Problem

Upon hatching, the emerald ash borer larvae damage the host tree by tunneling S-shaped galleries into the underside of the bark and the outer sapwood. This destroys the tree’s tissues that are responsible for carrying water and nutrients between the leaves and roots. The adult beetle also harms trees when it bores out of the wood by creating D-shaped exit holes approximately ⅛” in diameter.

Once a tree has an emerald ash borer infestation, it usually dies within three years.

Signs of Emerald Ash Borer Infestation

  • Excessive sprouting from base of tree
  • Thinning crown
  • Canopy dieback
  • Tiny D-shaped holes in the bark
  • Bark splitting
  • Increased woodpecker activity (they like to feed on beetle larvae)

Emerald Ash Borer Treatment Options
When a tree is infested with emerald ash borer, treatment may be ineffective. A tree may be too severely compromised to save. That’s why we highly recommend utilizing preventative methods. Mountain Tree Service  can provide annual treatments to help protect your beautiful ash trees against this highly destructive pest.

 

Emerald Ash Borer Awareness in Connecticut

Emerald Ash Borer Symptoms

USDA Stop the Beetle

http://youtu.be/hMYg8ia6pBE

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