Each month, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) updates and distributes an Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) Detection Map. While EAB is "old news" to many in the buckeye state, it is interesting to continue to watch the progression of this invasive species in North America. In February 2003, EAB was confirmed for the first time in Ohio in Lucas County in NW Ohio, approximately seven months after the initial detection and identification in Michigan the summer before. Fast forward 14+ years later, EAB has been confirmed in 30 states. A detailed timeline can be found on the Regional EAB Website at http://emeraldashborer.info/
This website is the go-to place to find information about EAB including FAQs, wood use options, replanting, insecticide options, biological controls, and more. The website is also home to Emerald Ash Borer University (EABU), an online training opportunity on EAB and other invasive species topics. Live webinars are recorded and made available through YouTube on a variety of subjects. Links can be found on the EAB website. Recent webinars that were presented in 2017 included:
- Chemical Control for EAB: What Works, What Doesn't Work, and Why
by Cliff Sadof, Dept. of Entomology, Purdue University - Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in Michigan
by John Bedford, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and Rural Development - Biology, Ecology and Management of Ambrosia Beetle Vectors and their Diseases
by Chris Ranger, USDA ARS Horticultural Insects Research Lab, Wooster, OH - Utilizing Community Street Tree Surveys in an Early Detection Rapid Response Program
by Tivon Feeley, Forest Health Program Leader, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources - An Update on Rearing, Releasing and Recovery of EAB Parasitoids
by Ben Slager, Director of the USDA APHIS Biological Control Rearing Facility, Brighton, MI
Stay tuned for additional updates on EAB and other invasive species in upcoming BYGL Alerts. And remember, there are several quarantines in Ohio that green industry professionals and the public should be aware of. We must all do our part not to spread these pests into uninfested areas, and to monitor and report invasives using the Great Lakes Early Detection Network App. For more information on GLEDN check out the website at http://apps.bugwood.org/apps/gledn/