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Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been detected in Raleigh and Calhoun Counties on purple prism traps seen in trees throughout the state, according to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA). Five West Virginia counties are now infested with the invasive and destructive beetle, which has killed more than 25 million ash trees in North America.
“The discovery of emerald ash borer in these two additional counties shows how easily these non-native insect populations can move,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. “Once they begin to visibly damage trees, it’s too late. That’s why we need to focus on ways to prevent the artificial movement of these insects, such as using local firewood when camping, rather than carrying your own.”
WVDA first found EAB in West Virginia in October 2007 in Fayette County on a trap tree set up as a monitoring tool. In 2009, it was detected in Morgan County by a landowner and again on one of the purple prism traps set in Roane County. With the Roane County find, the state EAB quarantine in Fayette and Morgan Counties was rescinded and the state became regulated under the federal EAB quarantine.
“Due to the close proximity to other catches, I don’t think either one of these discoveries came as much of a surprise to anyone,” said Jason Watkins, State Plant Health Director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS).
The emerald ash borer (EAB) attacks only ash trees. It is believed to have been introduced into the Detroit, Mich., area 15-20 years ago on wood packing material from Asia. Since then, the destructive insect has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Anyone with questions about EAB can contact the West Virginia Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Division at 304-558-2212, or visit www.emeraldashborer.info.
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. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.
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