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Purple prism traps will soon be seen in trees throughout the state, as state and federal agencies continue surveillance for Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), a non-native, wood-boring beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and Canada. EAB was discovered in Fayette County in October 2007, but no further spread was documented in 2008.
“Because Fayette County does not border any EAB-infested areas, we strongly suspect it entered the state on firewood brought by campers,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “Other pests can be artificially transported by individuals in the same fashion, so we are urging all visitors to buy their firewood near their campsite, or burn all the firewood they bring and not transport it from one area to another. That will ensure no organisms survive to infest West Virginia’s forests.”
The adult beetles feed on ash foliage, causing little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, leading to the decline and death of infested trees.
Fayette County is currently under both state and federal EAB quarantines. The state quarantine prohibits the movement of any hardwood firewood – as well as ash logs, ash seedlings, ash bark and other regulated articles – from Fayette County to other West Virginia counties. The federal quarantine prohibits the movement of the same regulated articles from Fayette County to other states.
The traps, some of which will be light green, are coated with an adhesive that captures insects when they land. The colors are thought to be attractive to EAB, and are relatively easy for humans to spot among the foliage. Workers return to the traps periodically during the season to check for EAB.
The project is a cooperative effort of the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS), USDA Forest Service (USDA-FS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Information on EAB and the state quarantine is available at www.wvagriculture.org, or by calling Plant Industries Division at 304-558-2212. WVDA EAB Regulatory Officer Jody Wilson may also be contacted at 304-254-2941 for questions on the quarantine.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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