spread of the emerald ash borer

[Stephen Stark]

Just got back fromm the cottage on the Bruce Peninsula in Southern Ontario and I couldn't believe the widespread evidence of the ash borer form Windsor Ontario to the tip of Georgian Bay. Ash is one of our more common trees and I can't help but think how barren the landscape will look if most of these trees are destroyed. I was seeing trees with at least a 36" dia trunk without a single leaf. It makes one think that maybe it might be a good idea to harvest some of the larger ones before they are reduced to junk. How is this insect affecting your area? Ps Thank you China for the Ash Borer, the long horned beetle, the Asian carp and the snake head fish(Google this freak)

[Neal Clayton]

we have similar issues in the south with the old growth pines, it's somewhat of a catch 22.

a) here the old growth forests, ironically, survived by fire. natural forest fires would wipe out parasites and faster growing competitors allowing the old growth trees that survived the lightning fires to flourish.

b) but we can't have widespread forest fires anymore, it wipes out wildlife and private property.

so what do you do? i don't know that there is a good answer.

[Dave Lehnert]

We have a problem here in Cincinnati. The inspector from the Ohio Department of Agriculture said the Feds will jack you up good transporting firewood from state to state. I saw a map of the spreading of the Emerald Ash Borer. It is spreading right along the major highways from people transporting wood.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Across the river from Windsor, in the Detroit area, all the ash trees have been dead for a few years now. We had a big one in the front yard, and started getting it treated as soon as we noticed signs, but it still died two years later. The arborist said that they learned that once you saw signs of the insect, it had probably already been there for more than a year and it was too late to save the tree.

[Curt Harms]

Part of the problem with the E A B is there are no natural predators on this continent. I'd read where entomologists had found a couple species of wasps that would target E A B's. Anyone know about that?

[Matt Meiser]

And what are the predators to those wasps?

[Dave Verstraete]

A neighboring city (Wyoming, MI), in its infinite wisdom, planted green ash along a major artery street (44th). We can watch the progression of the borer as it gets to our town. Why they haven't cut those down is beyond me.

[Curt Harms]

And what are the predators to those wasps?

Good question. Reference "The principle of unintended consequences". I'm pretty sure there have been predators introduced to combat imported pests in the past. The trick is to make sure the introduced predator has very targeted prey---and hope you're right.

[Mike OMelia]

Remember Kudzu? arg!

Anybody seen the damage to lodge pole pines in the Rockies?

[Craig Hemsath]

A neighboring city (Wyoming, MI), in its infinite wisdom, planted green ash along a major artery street (44th). We can watch the progression of the borer as it gets to our town. Why they haven't cut those down is beyond me.

Cities across the country planted ash in the wake of Dutch Elm Disease, now with the EAB maybe they'll have to replant with the new resistant elms.

[Gary Radice]

Just returned today from a trip to upstate Michigan and the ash trees were dying everywhere. Obvious and saddening and maddening viewing it at 55 mph along the roadsides everywhere.

Invasive species of all types are a silent but huge problem.

[ray hampton]

We have a problem here in Cincinnati. The inspector from the Ohio Department of Agriculture said the Feds will jack you up good transporting firewood from state to state. I saw a map of the spreading of the Emerald Ash Borer. It is spreading right along the major highways from people transporting wood.

do the Borer depend on people moving the wood to spread or can the Borer travel to different trees some other way ?

[Jerome Hanby]

And what are the predators to those wasps?

I'm thinking of that Monty Python skit where they keep bringing in new predators to get rid of the predators they brought in to get rid of the pests until they end up with genetically engineered atomic super cats that destroy everything.

Now obviously we don't want to go that route, but if we used just a little radiation on that genetically altered feline DNA...

[ray hampton]

are this what you are talking about

the farmer had too many mice--bought cats
now too many cats-bought bull dogs
too many dogs --bought tigers
too many tigers--bought elephants
too many elephants--bought mice

[Craig Hemsath]

do the Borer depend on people moving the wood to spread or can the Borer travel to different trees some other way ?

The adults can move up to ~12 miles/year, iirc, on their own. But it's the movement of firewood, etc. that are the big culprits. Some guy has an ash dying, cuts it down. Nice, big tree, saves it for firewood. Hauls a load to a campground, has a few logs left over and thinks "I'll just leave it for the next guy"