Emerald ash borers (EAB) have wiped out millions of trees and caused great loss for wood businesses. After the attack on Midwest, the beetle is now present in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
EABs were first positively identified in Wisconsin on Aug. 1, 2008 but are currently marking their first destruction in Portage County.
The bugs were found at 2900 block of Center Street by a resident who reported heavy wood-pecking activity just near a tree.
The presence of EAB was confirmed by Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) on April 6.
"We knew it was eventually going to get here, we just didn't know it was going to get here this quick," said Tom Schrader, director of Parks and Recreation in Stevens Point.
DATCP added that wood products will not be allowed to be transported out of Portage and Wood County to areas that are not infested by the pest. The two counties will also be quarantined.
An estimate of 700 ash trees in public land will need to be taken down, but about 500 could be saved through treatment. Residents with ash trees in their yards are also advised to treat them with insecticide.
"We're not cutting down every tree that has a green ribbon on it," Schrader said.
Everything About Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) or Agrilus Planipennis Fairmaire is an exotic beetle with a green metallic color that typically measure about half an inch.
This tree-killing pest was first discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002 and believed to have reached U.S. through packing material imported from Asia.
EAB attacks on ash trees. Adult EAB will feed on the foliage while the larvae devour the inner barks, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients within the tree.
If an ash tree is infected with EAB, it will show signs of drying and thinning of branches, heavy wood-pecking activity, D-shaped exit holes, S-shaped feeding trail in the barks, and water sprouts scattered along the main branches and tree trunk.
Ash trees provide the main raw material in making baseball bats, tool handles, flooring and cabinets. If these trees are infested with the pest, it can create a domino effect on businesses mainly on wood products.
EAB killed millions of trees in North America and raised quarantines in Wisconsin, Michigan, Quebec, Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Kentucky, Kansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ontario, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and Tennessee.
Photo: USFS Region 5 | Flickr
