Oregonians are being asked to keep an eye out for a pest that has the potential to kill ash trees en masse.
Emerald Ash Borers thrive in higher temperatures and have reemerged in Oregon every summer. July is the peak month for EAB emergence, and the Oregon Department of Forestry wants residents to get informed about the deadly beetles.
Also keeping an eye out are Matt Mills and Kat Bethea. They’re EAB support specialists for ODF who recently spent a day in Keizer doing a tree inventory as part of their background progress on devastation caused by the pests.
“All our North American ash are highly susceptible to EAB, meaning if Emerald Ash Borer get into the tree, it's going to usually die within three to four years,” Mills said. “About one in 1000 ash trees is able to survive an emerald ash borer infestation.”
EABs are native to north-eastern Asia, but in 2002, they were identified in Michigan. Twenty years later, they were found in Oregon.
As an invasive species, EAB larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees and feed on the nutrients inside, killing the trees within five years of the infestation.
To help slow the emergence of these pests, Oregonians can learn how to identify and capture EAB at oregoneab.com.
“If you can capture the insect in a jar or other container that’s ideal,” Bethea said. “But at least try and take a clear, close-up photo. This helps us identify the insect in question much more easily.”
But there are a few things to note first, Bethea said. There are some metallic green beetles in Oregon that can be confused with EAB. In order to be sure, Bethea suggested checking for other signs the pests have infested trees in the area.
“Some symptoms are general stress, things like canopy dieback and shoots coming up from parts of the tree,” Bethea said. “Also, you're going to look for increased woodpecker activity. When EAB are infesting a tree, woodpeckers can actually eat them if they're alive.”
Mills added that avoiding transporting firewood around the state can prevent the spread of EAB to other areas.
Mitigating EAB emergence and infestation is the only way to protect ash trees, since EAB eradication isn’t possible.
“As Emerald Ash Borer spreads throughout Oregon, there's a very good chance we're going to lose nearly all of our ash trees,” Mills said. “Best we can do is slow it down, giving communities a chance to plan for its arrival.”
People suspecting they’ve found EAB should report it over the phone to 1-866-INVADER or online at https://oregoninvasiveshotline.org/reports/create.
