The Emerald Ash Borer (AEB)

Today at Waukee Rotary we had Tivon Feeley, the Forest Health Program Leader at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, speak with us about ash trees and the arrival of the emerald ash borer. What is this insect you ask? It is a green insect that is a primary invader who attacks ash trees and kills other healthy trees as well. It was first seen in Summer of 2002, and has been a big infestation problem ever since. But how do you know if you have the larva in your trees? There are many signs. If you see a split in the tree, that is a big indicator. If you peel off the bark, you can really get a good look to see if it is present or not. Underneath the bark there will be "S" shaped trails that the borer makes to make its presence known. One other sign to look for is white spots in the bark. These spots are left by woodpeckers who eat the larva that are living in the ash tree.
 
The emerald ash borer problem seems to keep getting bigger and bigger. There are a few solutions out there to get rid of them and save your ash trees, however they can be unpredictable and pricey. Feeley discussed how this insect is spreading over the country so fast, and the answer is through infested firewood, logs and trees. It has gotten so bad, there has been boundaries set up throughout the country that says people can't bring firewood across it. A lot of people are doing they're best to try and limit the problem but unfortunately we still have a long way to go.
 
Thank you to Tivon Feeley and his VERY interesting presentation about the emerald ash borer. He made a lot of Rotarians aware of a very serious problem occurring right now in the U.S. 

Morgan McLaughlin