Emerald Ash Borer Risk Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 7, 2009

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small, (1/2-inch long, 1/8-inch wide) metallic green beetle native to Asia. Discovered in Illinois in 2006, it has since spread throughout northeast Illinois and remote locations in and around LaSalle and Bloomington. EAB feeds only on members of the Fraxinus genus or true Ash trees. If trees go untreated, the death rate is 100 percent. If infested trees are not treated or removed, EAB will continue its destructive path moving on to other ash trees—eventually wiping out all Ash trees.

Ash make up a large percentage of our green canopy both as public street trees and forested areas. EAB destruction of Ash trees will have a huge impact on our urban landscapes for years to come.

Is your town, village, city, park, golf course, arboretum, campus prepared? Can you identify EAB? Can you identify a member of the Fraxinus genus? Does your community know the number of Ash trees that potentially will have to be either removed or treated—and at what cost? Once found, state and federal quarantines will be implemented—how will this affect you?

University of Illinois Extension is offering an all-day EAB Risk Management training for municipal officials, community tree board members, county board representatives, city arborists, commercial arborists, parks and recreation officials and their employees, IDOT and green-industry commercial personnel The training will be held on November 17 at the Collinsville Area Recreation District Activity Center, 10 Gateway Drive, Collinsville from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.. There is no charge for the program or lunch, but registration is required by November 10. For more information contact Martha Smith at 309-836-2363.

Source: Martha A. Smith, Extension Educator, Horticulture, smithma@uiuc.edu