As the Ash Borers Population Goes up the Ash Trees go extinct

By: Taryn Silk

May 22, 2019–Greenville New York News

Throughout North America, there has been a parasite epidemic. All of North America’s Ash trees are endangered with five out of six of different types being critically endangered. What kills the Ash trees? No other species than the invasive Emerald Ash Borers. The Emerald Ash Borers were accidentally introduced to North America in 2002 from Asia on wooden packaging. Emerald Ash Borers are metallic green beetles that feed on the tissues beneath the bark of Ash trees. These tissues transport nutrients and water to the tree’s leaves. Without this tissue transportation, the Ash trees are ultimately killed. The Emerald Ash Borers have killed at least tens of millions of Ash trees and threatens to kill many more (source:https://ento.psu.edu /extension/trees-shrubs /emerald-ash-borer/factsheets/EAB2940.pdf)

    

Why are Ash trees important to the environment? Ash trees are very strong and are used for products that require durability. This includes tool handles and baseball bats. Ash trees’ seeds also feed butterflies and moth caterpillars. Being that the Ash Borers have depleted so many ash trees, this could make our ecosystem worse than it already is. 

What can we do to kill the Emerald Ash Borer? Being that the Emerald Ash Borers main predator is the oobius agrili, a non-stinging wasp that is native to Asia, there are not many other choices we have. However, woodpeckers do eat Emerald Ash Borers, but they can’t save a tree that’s already infested. Although this is a good thing, woodpeckers are endangered and without many of them they may not be able to save the Ash trees. So next time you see an ash tree check and see if you see a d-shaped hole in it. If you do that tree is infested. If you do happen to find one, contacting Bartlett Tree Experts should be the first thing you should do.