Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
Emerald ash borer has been found in Albany, Orange, Erie, Cattaraugus, Steuben, Ulster, Monroe, Genesee, Livingston and Greene Counties.
EAB has most recently been found in Albany and Dutchess Counties.
Read the recent Conservationist article on EAB.
Watch a clip about Emerald Ash Borer on DEC TV. Also, you can watch a new EAB video clip produced by TIME Magazine in the right column under Links Leaving DEC's Website. It shows DEC Forestry staff in Region 3 working on the Department's Slow Ash Mortality (SLAM) program to slow the spread of the destructive emerald ash borer.
Emerald Ash Borer
Photograph credit: David Cappaert,
http://www.forestryimages.org/
Please note: If you have ash trees, stop and learn more before you act. The potential threat of emerald ash borer (EAB) is real; however, acting without understanding the specific threat to your trees, regulations and quarantines, and your options, could cause the unnecessary loss of treasured shade trees, or loss of substantial income from your woodlot. For more information, please see the links in the right hand column of this page.
The emerald ash borer is smaller than
a penny. photo credit: Howard Russell,
MI State U., www.forestryimages.org
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) was first discovered in the U.S. in 2002 in southeastern Michigan. It was also found in Windsor, Ontario the same year. This Asian beetle infests and kills North American ash species (Fraxinus sp.) including green, white, black and blue ash. Thus, all native ash trees are susceptible. Adult beetles leave distinctive D-shaped exit holes in the outer bark of the branches and the trunk. Adults are roughly 3/8 to 5/8 inch long with metallic green wing covers and a coppery red or purple abdomen. They may be present from late May through early September but are most common in June and July. Signs of infection include tree canopy dieback, yellowing, and browning of leaves.
EAB larvae can reach 2 3/4 inches long.
Photograph credit: David Cappaert.
Most trees die within 2 to 4 years of becoming infested. The emerald ash borer is responsible for the destruction of over 50 million ash trees in the U.S. since its discovery in Michigan.
After reviewing the identification material on this website, if you think you have EAB, call the Department's EAB and Firewood hotline at 1-866-640-0652.
Read Senator Schumer's response to proposed cuts to invasive species funding under Links Leaving DEC's Website in the right column of this page.
What are those purple, wedge-shaped things hanging in the trees?
They are emerald ash borer traps, also known as "purple prism" traps. The traps are used for early detection and boundary marking of EAB infestations. Unfortunately, they don't catch enough beetles to control populations, but their use in early detection is crucial, as the sooner an infestation is found the easier it is to manage.
Photo: James Clayton
Hung high in ash tree branches, the traps contain a lure which smells like a stressed ash tree. The lure, and the trap's purple color, draw in the beetles, which get stuck in the very sticky glue that coats the outside of the trap. When the traps are inspected throughout the summer, any EABs, or look-alikes, are collected and sent to a lab for identification.
In 2010, all of the new infestations were first detected via the purple traps. More than 8,000 traps were set in New York State in 2010, primarily within a 100-mile radius of known EAB infestations and in high risk areas, such as campgrounds. Additional traps were hung for research purposes.
Don't worry if you have purple prism traps on or near your property. It doesn't necessarily mean that your area is under attack by EAB. It's just a precaution. But if you do suspect you might have EAB, call the hotline number listed above.
Links for User Groups
Links to general information about the emerald ash borer:
- Look for and Report EAB!
- Frequently Asked Questions - about emerald ash borer
- Emerald Ash Borer Management Response Plan (PDF, 2.5 MB)
- How to Identify EAB and Ash Trees?
- Regulations and Quarantines - relative to EAB
- Don't Move Firewood - in order to protect our forests from invasive insects and diseases
- EAB Early Detection: What is it and why is it important (PDF, 500 KB)
- View Asian Longhorned Beetle materials for educators
The rest of these links lead OFF the DEC website. By clicking on them, you will leave the DEC website.
- Multi-state website devoted to EAB information
- EAB Treatment Options - NY Invasive Species Clearinghouse/Cornell Cooperative Extension Invasive Species Program
- Cornell Cooperative Extension: Information about Community Preparedness
- EAB Cost Calculator - Purdue University
- Ash Tree Replacement Information
- USDA APHIS EAB webpage - U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- Emerald Ash Borer Pest Alert - put out by the U.S. Forest Service
- US Forest Service Northeastern Area EAB webpage
More about Emerald Ash Borer (EAB):
- Current Status of EAB in New York State - Details of response effort addressing EAB discovery in Randolph, Cattaraugus County
- Insects that Look Similar to Emerald Ash Borer - Insects that are commonly confused with EAB.
- Look For and Report EAB - Public involvement is vital to detecting infestations of the emerald ash borer.
- Emerald Ash Borer FAQs - Frequently asked questions about the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis)
- EAB Identification - The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a shiny green beetle that kills living ash trees.
- EAB Regulations and Quarantines - Federal and state regulations and quarantines relating to the emerald ash borer.
- History of EAB in New York State - The purpose of Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week is to encourage people to become better educated about the emerald ash borer (EAB) and the destruction it causes.
