Forestry Pest Alerts, City of Novi, Michigan (MI)

Emerald Ash Borer
Gypsy Moth
Asian Long-horned Beetle
Sirex Woodwasp
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Emerald Ash Borer

June 5, 2009

New Emerald Ash Borer Insecticide Guide Now Available

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Homeowners, arborists and tree care specialists nationwide now have a comprehensive guide on emerald ash borer (EAB) control. This insect pest feeds under the bark and has killed tens of millions of ash trees in Michigan and northern Ohio alone.

“Insecticide Options for Protecting Ash Trees from Emerald Ash Borer,” written by research specialists from Michigan State University (MSU), The Ohio State University, Purdue University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Illinois, is available online at www.emeraldashborer.info. Printed copies will be available within the next month.

“This guide is the result of years of research on EAB and potential options for protecting landscape ash trees. It provides the most up-to-date information on insecticides that can be used to combat this pest, as well as what to consider before treating ash trees,” says Deborah McCullough, MSU forest entomologist. “The guide is a collaborative effort to bring the best knowledge we have to people living in areas with EAB.”

“Our understanding of how EAB can be managed successfully with insecticides has increased substantially in recent years,” said lead author Dan Herms, an entomologist with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and OSU Extension. “There are effective treatments available for both professionals and do-it-yourselfers, including some that are applied in the soil, injected in the trunk of the tree, or sprayed on the trunk, branches or foliage.”

Since it was discovered in 2002 in the Detroit area, EAB has been found in 12 states (most recently Kentucky) and two Canadian provinces. It continues to kill tens of millions of ash trees. Because the pest was virtually unknown outside its native Asia before 2002, scientists have been scrambling to find out all they could about the pest and the best ways to control it.

“People still want to know if they can either save or protect their ash trees from EAB,” says David Smitley, MSU Extension entomologist. “The information in this guide should be very helpful for those dealing with EAB or contemplating what to do as infestations are found in their area.”

The guide includes frequently asked questions, information on insecticide products available for EAB control and how to use them, and a summary of results from studies that tested the effectiveness of the various insecticides. The guide also presents key points to consider and recommendations for dealing with EAB.

“As EAB infestations continue to be found, it’s important for everyone to realize that North America could lose its entire ash resource -- that’s at least 15 ash species,” McCullough says. “Though insecticides can effectively protect valuable ash trees in the landscape, billions of ash trees in U.S. forests will not be treated. These trees will eventually be killed by EAB. To help slow the spread of EAB, we encourage people to buy their firewood locally, burn it completely before leaving a campsite and avoid transporting ash firewood.”

Find the guide, along with other information on EAB, at www.emeraldashborer.info, or http://ashalert.osu.edu.

April 4, 2008

ANOTHER WEAPON FOUND FOR EMERALD ASH BORER ARSENAL

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Valuable landscape ash trees may now be protected from emerald ash borer (EAB) with a new insecticide called emamectin benzoate.

Research at Michigan State University (MSU) showed that the new product, which will be sold as Tree-äge™, was “remarkably effective” in controlling EAB, reports Deborah McCullough, MSU forest entomologist and EAB researcher. The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) approved a special registration for the product for use in ash trees for controlling EAB. It has also been used on fruit and vegetable crops.

“The results from 2007, our first year of research with the product, were dramatic,” McCullough said. “We had seen some preliminary tests with the product and thought it might work, so we set up research trials in three sites in May 2007.”

The researchers looked at the mortality rate of adult EAB beetles that were caged with leaves from emamectin benzoate-treated trees, trees treated with other insecticides and non-treated trees. They repeated the trial three times during the summer. In all three trials, leaves from the emamectin benzoate-treated trees killed all the beetles. In contrast, at least 70 to 80 percent of the beetles survived on the untreated leaves, and no more than 80 percent of the beetles died when they fed on leaves from trees treated with other products.

Last fall, some of the emamectin benzoate-treated ash trees were felled and debarked to see how many EAB larvae were feeding on each tree. The emamectin benzoate-treated trees showed more than 99 percent fewer larvae than untreated ash trees.

Though the results are promising, McCullough cautions that more study is needed.

“This is only one year’s worth of data, so the study will continue,” she said. “This year we will treat some of the trees again, but others won’t be treated so we can see if emamectin has to be applied every year or every other year.”

Entomologist Therese Poland, from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, is assisting with the study, and Phillip Lewis, from the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is measuring the amount of each insecticide product that is present in the ash leaves throughout the summer.

Emamectin benzoate can be purchased and applied only by trained, certified pesticide applicators, who inject the product into the base of the tree. To be effective, the insecticide must be transported by the tree up the trunk and into the branches and leaves. This means that the product will probably be most effective if the tree is still relatively healthy when it is treated. (EAB feeds on the tissues that transport nutrients up into a tree, so if the pest has already killed those tissues, it is too late to save that part of the tree.)

“This product affects insects that eat ash tree tissue,” McCullough said, “but it won’t hurt anything that lands or climbs on the tree, such as butterflies, birds and squirrels.”

“Though this is not a ‘silver bullet’ for eradicating EAB across the country, it could be a quantum leap forward in our ability to slow the spread of this deadly insect,” said Ken Rauscher, director of the MDA Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division. “This product affords municipalities, homeowners and others the opportunity to save landscape trees, municipal park trees or other trees of value that would have otherwise received a death sentence because of EAB.”

Tree-äge™ will be available beginning May 14. Certified applicators can order it now.

“We are excited about this product’s possibilities,” McCullough said. “This could be a tool that we can integrate with our other options to slow the advance of EAB in newly discovered infestations.”

For more information on emerald ash borer, go to www.emeraldashborer.info or www.michigan.gov/eab.

Contact: Robin Usborne, 517-432-1555, ext. 169
or Deborah McCullough, 517-355-7445

January 2009 ash trees may cause power outages and pose a danger to people, property and power lines.

Overview

Dead and dying ash trees are a widespread problem in Southeastern Michigan, due to the emerald ash borer, a foreign insect pest that has invaded ash trees in several states. The dead and dying trees pose a serious danger to people, property and power lines because they are structurally unstable and may fall at any time.

Ash trees are increasingly responsible for power outages when tall ash trees on private property fall on Detroit Edison electric lines. These trees often grow as tall as 60 feet and can damage utility lines located a substantial distance from the trees. Falling trees can affect phone and cable television lines as well.

There is an expense connected with removing these trees from private property; however, property owners’ potential expense associated with doing nothing could be far worse. These potential costs include death, injuries, damage to your home, damage to neighbors’ homes and damage to vehicles. Property owners are responsible for damage that occurs as a result of falling trees, and property insurance may not cover damage caused by dead or dying trees.

Property owners are encouraged to remove dead and dying trees of any species.

Special considerations for ash trees

Due to the emerald ash borer quarantine, ash wood may only be disposed of at authorized disposal sites. Click here for ash tree disposal information.

Ash-tree firewood and wood debris cannot be transported out of the emerald ash borer quarantine area established by the Michigan Department of Agriculture (see the Where to Get More Information section, below).

My Ash Tree Is Dead... Now What Do I Do?

Property owners may want to explore alternatives for the use of dead and dying ash trees, as well as other trees. For more ideas on using ash and other wood, read the publication, “My Ash Tree is Dead, Now What Do I Do?”

Where to get more information

For information on ash-wood quarantine areas, approved disposal sites, use of ash wood and more, visit these sites and search on emerald ash borer:

Historical Information

An exotic pest known as the Emerald Ash Borer, an insect that is native to Asia is destroying many ash trees in southeastern Michigan. To date, it has damaged or killed millions of ash trees in the affected areas. To prevent and control the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer, state officials issued quarantine on all ash trees and ash wood products in the affected counties, including Oakland County.

The Forestry Division is taking a proactive approach in managing the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) by monitoring our street ash tree population. In July of 2003, we completed a comprehensive inventory of the city’s 2,500 street ash trees. The purpose of this inventory was to assess the health and maintenance needs of the ash trees. The following information was collected: location, size, health, and maintenance needs. The data collected has been used to develop an EAB management plan as well as create and prioritize tree work orders.

Forestry crews have been actively removing ash trees on public property throughout Novi for the last few years. In 2005, just over 1,200 were removed. At this time, there are less than 200 public ash trees (maintained areas) that need be removed. In the spring of 2006, the Forestry Division will be replanting approximately 1,600 trees to replace trees that were removed (not just ash).

The main message is that tree diversity is the key aspect to having a healthy and sustainable urban forest. In the last three years, the City of Novi has been planting a wide diversity of tree species in effort to prevent this devastation from happening in the future. Rows of the same tree species lining streets are no longer desirable. Areas where the same tree species are spaced closely together make it easier for insects and diseases to spread.

For more information, please visit the following websites:

Emerald Ash Borer - USFS
Michigan Department of Agriculture
USDA Forest Service
Michigan State University Extension Service 888-350-0900, ext. 8092
City of Novi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department 248-347-0400

Emerald Ash Borer Facts

What does an Ash tree look like?:

The tree has light-gray bark, which is smooth in younger trees and rough and scaly in older ones. The tree also has compound leaves, which are divided into five to nine lance-shaped leaflets.

How to identify the Emerald Ash Borer Problem:

Initial thinning and/or yellowing of the foliage
Development of suckers from the trunk or branches
Woodpecker injury
Tiny D-shaped emergence holes on the trunk or branches
Gradual death of the tree
"S" tunneling beneath the outer bark
Dieback/Death
Bark splitting

What does the Emerald Borer look like?

Adults are metallic green in color and approximately 1/2 inch in length. Larvae are cream-colored and are found in or under the bark.

What you can do if you have an infected tree:

It has been recommended that residents remove and destroy ash trees that have died or exhibit greater than 20% dieback. Proper disposal includes chipping or burying the wood.

Emerald Ash Borer quarantine has been revised to enhance state efforts to prevent spread.

Please click here for revised quarantine.

Is there treatment for the Emerald Ash Borer?

There are some insecticide treatments available, which may prevent further decline. However, university-based research has been performed on the effectiveness of insecticides on the Emerald Ash Borer. Homeowners are to be wary of companies promising a solution or cure to the Emerald Ash Borer.

For possible treatment options, please visit the following pages in the Michigan State University Extension website:

How Homeowners Can Protect Ash Trees From the Emerald Ash Borer in Southeast Michigan
Use of insecticides for Emerald Ash Borer

Ash Tree Disposal

Click here for ash tree disposal information.

Gypsy Moth

USDA - Gypsy Moth Handbook
Michigan Department of Agriculture Gypsy Moth Information
Michigan's Gypsy Moth Education Page

Asian Long-horned Beetle

Asian Longhorned Beetles
Anoplophora Glabripennis (Asian Longhorned Beetle)

Sirex Woodwasp

The Michigan departments of Agriculture (MDA) and Natural Resources (DNR), along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), today announced the confirmation of Sirex Woodwasp in Macomb County. A single specimen was collected from a trap on July 6 and later identified by the USDA.

Sirex Woodwasp is a wood-boring insect native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa and is a potentially serious pest of commercially produced pine trees. It was first detected in North America in Oswego, N.Y. in 2004, and has since been found throughout central New York, northern Pennsylvania, and southern Ontario.

The larvae of this exotic pest are responsible for damaging the tree. It severs the trees' conductive tissues, interrupting the transport of water and nutrients. Adult females lay their eggs in two- and three-needled pine trees, including: Austrian, jack, red, and Scotch pines.

"At this point, we don't know whether this is part of an established Michigan infestation," said MDA Director Mitch Irwin. "We don't anticipate this pest to have a major economic impact on the state's nursery, landscape and Christmas tree industries. We will, however, vigorously monitor this exotic pest and its potential to impact our forest systems."

The trap is one of more than 250 trapping locations established throughout Michigan through a cooperative effort that includes the USDA, MDA, DNR, Michigan Technological University and Michigan State University. This work is part of an international effort to delimit the extent of the infestation in North America.

"Since the Sirex find in New York we have been monitoring Michigan's pine resource," said DNR Director Rebecca A. Humphries. "The network of traps and trap trees established across Michigan will provide excellent data. This information will be used by the workgroup to assess and develop a pro-active response."

Sirex Woodwasp is not expected to significantly impact healthy landscape pine trees in the state. Its impact on vigorous, well managed pine plantations in Michigan, while not yet fully defined, is likewise not anticipated to be severe.

For more information on this pest, please visit:

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