EAB Background
Measuring about half-inch in length, the average adult beetle can easily fit on a penny. But it could cause big problems because early detection is difficult and human activity appears to be a major factor in spreading the pest. Authorities believe that the EAB entered the country via wood packaging material in the 1990s.
The beetle went undetected for many years until it caused major damage in Detroit. The species was first officially identified in the summer of 2002. Since then, EAB infestations have been found in Michigan, Canada, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland and Virginia.
Metallic green in color, the EAB has no known predators in North America although woodpeckers will eat them. Native to China and eastern Asia, the EAB only targets ash trees.
Initial efforts to eradicate the pest or slow down its progress have not been very successful. Current research indicates that the beetle spreads only about half-mile each year. Thus, the widespread infestation indicates that human activity, especially the transport of wood products, is a primary driver for the EAB problem.
Detection efforts are not as effective as government officials would like. Kellogg said, “We have been chasing the beetle for a couple of years.” APHIS hopes that larger quarantine areas will help make the effort more proactive and less reactive in its approach. By the time officials discover an area has been infested, the beetle may have been there for 2-3 years.
Possible EAB Impact
APHIS hopes that quarantine will help to mitigate the spread of the pest while the science community continues to work to develop solutions to combat EAB. To date, USDA has spent more than $100 million on EAB related research, eradication and reforestation efforts.
USDA estimates that if EAB is not contained or eradicated, it has the potential to cost state and local governments approximately $7 billion over the next 25 years. Currently, EAB is responsible for the death and decline of more 25 million ash trees in the United States.
Ash makes up about 7% of all hardwood species in the country. In some parts of the Midwest, ash trees account for 20-40% of forest canopy. The USDA estimates that there are 8 billion ash trees in the country with a value of $282 billion. Without an effective eradication and prevention program, the pest could wipe out a lot of those trees. Ash, known to be a very hard lumber species, is used for baseball bats, pallets and some other wood products.
Oak and ash are the dominate hardwood lumber species used in pallets in some parts of the country. Any regulation of ash would have a major impact on pallet and cut stock suppliers in affected regions.
Government Restrictions
Some states have restrictions too on movements within states from county to county. Companies in affected states should check with their local agriculture department to find out any local restrictions.
Although the government is trying a collaborative approach, APHIS can assess civil penalties to individuals and businesses that violate the quarantine. Under the Plant
Protection Act of 2000, violations of a domestic quarantine may result in a monetary fine up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment.
EAB Facts
In a temperate climate, the beetle can develop from egg to adult in as little as one year. Females lay eggs in bark crevices which later develop into wormlike larvae. These larvae tunnel under the bark to feed and grow throughout the fall. This activity eventually kills the tree. Larvae lay dormant during the winter and emerge from trees in May as adults.
■ On this continent, EAB attacks only ash trees, and all the ashes—green, white, and black, etc.—are at risk except the mountain ashes, which are not a true ash.
■ EAB infestation is generally fatal to ash trees. Infested trees will decline from the top down and will be dead in 1 to 3 years, even if the trees were healthy before being attacked by EAB. It is extremely difficult to determine whether an ash tree is infested or not infested with EAB because tree decline is usually gradual.
■ Early symptoms of an infestation might include dead branches near the top of a tree or perhaps wild, leafy shoots growing out from its lower trunk. D-shaped exit holes and bark splits exposing S-shaped tunnels are significant signs of EAB.
■ If a tree is infested with the EAB, tree removal is recommended as the most effective way to eliminate these exotic pests.
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