Foresters with the Missouri Department of Conservation have confirmed the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer in six new counties, including locally, Caldwell and Harrison. Other area counties with a confirmed presence of the insect include Adair, Ray, Clay, Clinton, DeKalb, and Schuyler. Statewide, the Emerald Ash Borer has spread to 59 counties and the City of Saint Louis since it was first detected in Missouri in July 2008.
The beetle is native to Asia and is small and metallic green. It attacks all species of ash trees. At about half an inch long, the adult beetle feeds on leaves and does little damage to trees. However, the insect kills ash trees in its larval stage by feeding on the water- and nutrient-conducting tissues just under the bark.
MDC Forest Entomologist Robbie Doerhoff suspects the Emerald Ash Borer is also in several other Missouri counties besides those on the most recent map of confirmations. It can take at least five years for a population of the insect to build to the point where it can be detected using specialized traps after the insect arrives in a new location.
MDC relies on public reports to help find new Emerald Ash Borer locations, particularly in the winter months. The public can help track the spread of the invasive beetle by looking for blonding bark on ash trees. Blonding bark is caused by woodpeckers removing a tree’s outer bark while searching for insect larvae. On ash trees, this activity reveals a noticeable white inner bark. Ash trees with bark blonding may not have Emerald Ash Borers, but it should be reported for a closer look by MDC foresters.
Reports can be made at eab.missouri.edu or by calling MDC’s Forest Pest Hotline at 866-716-9974. The public can help slow the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer and other invasive forest pests by using locally harvested firewood.
