Emerald Ash Borer Biological Control Release and Recovery Guidelines
| Authors: | Juli S. Gould, Theresa Booth, Nicole Sawallich, Toby R. Petrice |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Type: | Miscellaneous Publication |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| Source: | U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal Plant Health Inspection Service, Agricultural Research Service, Forest Service. 75 p. |
Abstract
Emerald ash borer (EAB), a beetle from Asia that feeds on ash trees, was discovered as the cause of extensive ash mortality in southeast Michigan and adjacent areas of Canada in 2002. It is thought that this destructive pest was introduced in the early 1990’s in infested solid wood packaging material originating in Asia. EAB feeds on ash species in the genus Fraxinus causing widespread ash mortality and significant economic, environmental, and social impacts.
As of March 2024, EAB infestations in the U.S. were known in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and 2 Wisconsin and the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Québec.
The continued spread of EAB threatens our ash resources and will permanently alter forest ecosystems in North America. Ash wood is used for a variety of applications including tool handles, baseball bats, furniture, cabinetry, solid wood packing materials, pulp, and paper. Native Americans utilize black ash for basketry, which is both economically and culturally important. In addition to its value to the timber industry and the forest ecosystem, ash was a popular landscape tree and the spread of EAB has urban, suburban, and nursey industry impacts as well. The program aims to maintain ash as a viable part of the American landscape by managing known infestations with a robust biological control program, while also incorporating other IPM methods and outreach to minimize EAB’s impacts.