The emerald ash borer, also known as the EAB, is a half-inch-long, metallic green beetle that feeds on and lays its eggs in ash trees. The emerald ash borer originated in Asia but spread to the U.S in 2002. Most researchers agree that they probably made their way to the US inside of shipping pallets. Since then it has spread and continues to spread throughout the Northeastern region of the U.S and Canada . The EAB was first found in Illinois on June 9, 2006, inside of two trees by Lily Lake in Kane County. By 2011, the infestation had spread to the city of Naperville. Since its introduction to Naperville, the Park District has had to remove approximately half of their ash trees due to the beetle’s effect.
The adult female emerald ash borer lays its eggs on the bark of an ash tree in the spring. When the borer eggs hatch on the tree, the larvae burrow inside by eating through the bark of the tree, then proceed to eat their way through the xylem and phloem layers (the tissues that transport water and nutrients throughout the tree) until the winter, at which time they pupate and wait until spring. When it warms up, they hatch into fully grown adults, and burrow out of the tree, leaving D-shaped exit holes, and restart the life cycle. The emerald ash borer can only travel about half a mile per year on its own, but is spreading much quicker. People often move firewood, and that wood can be infested with ash borer larvae or pupae, which will emerge as adults the following spring and infest any nearby ash trees. Naperville Park District employee Tiffani Howell giving a description of the emerald ash borer.
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This website was developed by Daniel Josefchak and Ryan Malone.
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This is a video on the dangers of moving fire wood.
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