The Emerald Ash Borer Beetle

Published by: Public Works Department
Date Posted: 6/22/2010

The Illinois Department of Agriculture informed the Village of Round Lake that the emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in some Ash trees in the Village and in unincorporated areas around our Village.  The State has informed the Village that Ash trees may be at risk or may already be infested with EAB.  The EAB is a small (1/2 inch long, 1/8 inch wide) metallic green beetle native to Asia. EAB’s natural spread is moderate, but its artificial spread can be rapid by people unwittingly transporting this pest through infested firewood, and landscape waste.  To protect our ash trees, it is your responsibility to minimize the spread of EAB by not transporting firewood outside of our local area.  Any tree that is identified to be infected should be removed and destroyed (usually by chipping, grinding or burning).

Signs and SymptomsThe most visible sign of infestation is crown dieback.  Branches at the top of the crown will die and more branches will die in subsequent years.  As the tree declines, ‘suckers’, or new young branches, will sprout from the base of the tree and on the trunk.  The bark may also split vertically and woodpeckers may feed on the beetle leaving visible damage on the bark.  Successful treatments with insecticides are limited but continue to be studied.  All ash trees near any new infestation will most likely become infested and die.  Adult beetles emerging from trees will leave a unique “D” shaped exit hole.  This is a small 1/8 inch diameter distinctly “D” shaped hole that may appear anywhere on the trunk or upper branches. 

If You Think You Have Emerald Ash Borer:If you suspect your tree has EAB, please take some digital photos of the tree and close-ups of the symptoms it is expressing and email those with contact info to: [email protected].  For assistance in identifying suspect insects and symptoms you can do one of the following: 

1.  Contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 800/641-3934 or visit www.IllinoisEAB.com

2.  Contact your local University of Illinois Extension office by visiting http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/state/index.html or by calling 217-333-5900 

3.  Visit www.emeraldashborer.info or http://na.fs.fed.us/fhp/eab

4.  Contact The Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic at 630-719-2424 or www.mortonarb.org

5.  Contact a certified arborist. To find one, visit http://www.illinoisarborist.org

Please CLICK HERE for a brochure with more information