Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on Emeraldash Borer (EAB)

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers on EmeraldAsh Borer (EAB)

1.Whatis the emeraldashborer?Itisa verysmall, shiny green beetle(½inchlongx ⅛ inch wide;aboutthe size ofMr.Lincoln’s image on a penny).

2.What does EABeat?Hosts are species (and cultivars)ofashinthe genusFraxinus. Hosts include green ash (e.g., ‘MarshallSeedless’, ‘Patmore’, and‘Summit’),white ash(e.g., Autumn Purple®) blackash, blueash, and pumpkin ash.ManchurianandChinese ashtreesare primaryhosts inits homeland[Eurasia]. Anewhostrecord of whitefringetree(Chionanthusvirginicus) was discovered in Ohio;this is nota common plantin Iowa.Mountainashes (Sorbusspecies)areNOThosts.

3.Whereis EABfrom?This beetle isnative toAsiaand isfoundin ChinaandKorea. Italso hasbeen reportedinJapan,Mongolia,theRussianFarEast,andTaiwan.EABarrivedintheUnitedStates sometime before 2002 in woodpackingmaterials. Ithas beenrecordedfeedingonF. chinensisandF. mandshuricaas anative borer.

4.HowdiditgettoIowa?MostEABinfestationsintheUnitedStateshavebeenstartedbypeople unknowinglymovinginfestedfirewood,nurseryplants,orsawmilllogs.Theadultbeetlealsocanfly shortdistances(2 to5miles).

5.Should I be concernedabout EAB?Yes. Itkillsashtrees, usuallyin 2-4 years.In the Midwest, millions of ashtreeshavebeen killedbyEABsince 2002.There are about3.1 million urban ashtrees and anestimated 52 millionashtreesin forestsin the state ofIowa. Statewide, Iowa averages 16- 17% ash oncityproperty, though the ash componentin tree inventories canreach87%.

6.HowdoI knowifI have an ashtreeinmy yard?Twosourcesto checkontreeidentificationare: and

7.Howdo I knowifmyashtreeisinfested? Lookfor thefollowingsymptoms: and

a.Canopy thinningordyingbranchesin the top of thetree

b.Watersprouts(suckers)halfwayup thetrunk

c.Feedingnotches onedge of leaflets

d.Woodpeckerfeedingsites/manybarkflakes onlawn

e.S-shaped feedinggalleriesunderdeadbark

f.D-shaped exitholes (1/8inch diameter)

8.For counties not yet knownto be infestedwith EAB, whocan helpme determineifmytreeis infested?Contactone of thefollowingifyou suspectEABin your tree:

a.Iowa Dept. of Agriculture & Land Stewardship,State Entomologist Office: 515-725-1470

b.Iowa Department of Natural Resources 515-725-8453

c.Iowa State University Extension andOutreach, Entomology:515-294-1101

9.Who should bethinking about treatingash trees?Ifyou area homeownerwithin 15 miles of a known infested area, you can consider treatment of a healthy ash tree during the growing season (see

#10 below).Ifyou are notin a known infestedarea,treatmentmaybe premature.

10.AshBorerManagementOptions:

a.There are two management publications available from Iowa State University Extension

1)English:

2)Spanish:

b.Ash trees can be protectedwithinsecticideappliedbya commercialpesticide applicator or the homeowner.Treesmustbe healthy, vigorously growing, and valuableto yourlandscape.

c.Mostofthesystemic insecticide treatments (i.e., imidaclopridand dinotefuran) mustbe done each yearfor the lifeofthetree.Twoactive ingredientswill lastfor2years in a lightEABinfestation: emamectin benzoateand azadirachtin. In heavyEABinfestations,onlyemamectin benzoate is effective for 2years; azadirachtinmustbeinjected every year.

d.Keep in mindthattreatmentmaynot be effective foragiven tree due topast injuries, age of the tree, soilmoisture,soilcompaction, andothersite and environmentalfactors.

e.Preventivetreatmentsaremosteffective.Infested trees withlessthan 30%diebackof the

crownmightbesaved forafewyears,butthetree’s crown willbe misshapedasaresultof removingthe deadbranches.

f.Ash trees within 15 miles of a confirmed EABsite areatriskof EABattack.Preventive treatmentsare suggested withinthisrisk zone, butmay be premature outsidethis area.

Continued monitoringof ash trees outsidethe risk zone for EABsymptomsis suggested.

g.Systemic insecticides require time, good soilmoisture,and active tree growth fordistributionin the ashtree. Mostsoil-applied products(soil drench, granular, soil injection) mustbe appliedin earlyspring(mid-Apriltomid-May)to beeffective. Basal trunk sprays [most effective for trees <23”dbh] using dinotefuran can be applied from mid-May through mid-June. Trunk injections can generally be made during full canopy (April through August), provided there is good soil moisture.

h.Soildrench homeownertreatments are effective forash trees up to60inches incircumference (20 inches diameter), whilegranulartreatments are recommended for trees up to 36 inches in circumference (12inchesdiameter).Homeowners can make onlyone applicationperyear. Trees largerthan 60inchesin circumference (20 inchdiameter) willneedto be treated bya certified commercialpesticide applicator.

i.Thereareseveraltreatmentoptions availableforashtrees whena commercialpesticide applicatormakes the application. Always use acertified applicatorwith experience in treatingtrees.For assistance in making a listof prospective certifiedapplicatorsin yourcounty/area, go to:

j.Thereisa peracre uselimitation forsoil treatments and basalbarktreatments;consult the productlabelwhenplanningapplications.There isnoperacreuselimitation for trunk injections.

k.ISU Extension andOutreach doesNOTrecommend canopysprays becauseoflimited effectiveness, theneed forspecialized equipment, spraydrift,and possible adverse effects tonontargetorganisms.

11.IfI am contactedby apesticide applicator to treatashtreesfor EABinthefallorwinter,whatcourseshouldI take?Thebesttime for most preventive applicationsforEABisspring;some products can beusedthroughout the summerand earlyfall(beforeleafcolorstartsto change). IFyou live within15 miles ofa confirmed EABinfested site, getanestimatefor the treatment.Itis best toget atleastone additionalestimate beforeanyworkis done. IFyou live outsidethe riskzone, thankthe applicatorforshowinginterestand keepthe companyinformation on file.

12.Where has EABbeenfoundin Iowa?EABinfestationshave been confirmed infifty-sevenIowa counties.Counties consideredinfested:

1)Adair – Bridgewater (Mormon Trail Co. Park), Lake Orient Recreational Area(2016), Greenfield Lake (2018)

2)Adams – Rural area north of Cromwell (2016)

3)Allamakee–NewAlbin,Lansing,Black Hawk Point,PloughSlough(2010)

4)Appanoose– Moravia(2014)

5)Benton – Belle Plaine (2017)

6)Black Hawk–Waterloo(2014), Deerwood Park (2017)

7)Boone–Boone (2014), Ledges State Park (2017)

8)Bremer–Waverly(2014)

9)Buena Vista – Alta (2017)

10)Butler – Clarksville (2017)

11)Carroll – Rural area west of Carroll (2018)

12)Cedar– Mechanicsville(2013)

13)Clarke – Osceola (2016)

14)Clayton – Marquette, Monona (2017)

15)Clinton– Clinton (2015)

16)Dallas–Waukee(2015)

17)Davis – Rural area north of Bloomfield (2015)

18)Decatur – Rural area north of Grand River (2017)

19)Des Moines–Burlington(2013)

20)Dubuque – Dubuque (2015), Dyersville (2017)

21)Fayette – Oelwein (2017)

22)Greene – east of Grand Junction (2017)

23)Floyd – Charles City (2017)

24)Harrison – Logan, Missouri Valley(2016)

25)Henry – Mt.Pleasant(2014), Geode State Park (2017)

26)Howard – Cresco (2017)

27)Iowa – Lake Iowa Park (2016), north of Middle Amana (2017)

28)Jackson – Bellevue (2017)

29)Jasper– Newton(2014), Rock Creek State Park (2017)

30)Jefferson– Fairfield(2013)

31)Johnson – Coralville, Iowa City (2016),south of Oxford (2017)

32)Keokuk –Hedrick(2015)

33)Lee – Fort Madison (2015)

34)Linn – Cedar Rapids (2015), Toddville (2016), Lisbon (2-17)

35)Louisa – Rural area in central part of county (2016)

36)Lucas– Privatewoodlot(2014), Chariton (2016)

37)Madison – Rural site south of Winterset (2017)

38)Mahaska–Eddyville (2014); rural area NW of Oskaloosa (2015)

39)Marion – Maryville (2014), Marion Co. Park (2017)

40)Marshall – Rural area N of Le Grand (2018)

41)Monroe –Privateproperty(2014), Albia (2017)

42)Montgomery – Rural area NW of Red Oak (2015); rural area north of Villisca (2016)

43)Muscatine–Muscatine(2014)

44)Polk – Urbandale, West Des Moines (2015); Des Moines, Mitchellville, Windsor Heights (2016)

45)Poweshiek – Grinnell (2015), Montezuma (2017)

46)Ringgold – west of Tingley (2017)

47)Scott – Davenport (2015), Bettendorf (2016), Scott Co. Park (2017), West Lake Park (2017)

48)Story–Story City (2014)

49)Tama – Rural area N of Le Grand (2018)

50)Taylor – Clearfield (2018)

51)Union–Creston(2013)

52)Van Buren – Birmingham (2016)

53)Wapello –Eddyville(2014), Eldon (2017)

54)Warren – Rural Milo (2017)

55)Washington – Brighton (2016), Washington (2017)

56)Wayne – north of Corydon (2017)

57)Winneshiek – Decorah (2016)

13.Nowthat EABhascome toIowa,is theresomeplanto manage/containthis pest? A detailed plan has been developedbyIowa’s collaborative agencies.The EAB Response Plan andother currentIowa information aboutEABare given at:

14.What doesan EABquarantinemean?AquarantinebystateandU.S.agriculture departments means thathardwoodfirewood, ashlogs, and woodchipscannotbe moved outof the areawithouta permit. Homeowners mustnotremove theirashtree or firewoodfromtheirtreeto an areaoutside the quarantine.Tree removalcompaniesmustnothaullogs orfirewood outsidethe quarantinearea unlessinspected and treatedas requiredbythe regulations.

15.HowmanycountiesinIowa have been quarantined? The entirestate(99counties)ofIowa has been quarantined forEAB.

16.Whatshould a homeownerortreecare company dowithashtrees cut down inor near theinfestedarea?We requestthatyou disposeorusethewood within your county.

17.Can I use the mulch produced by chipping an EAB infested tree for landscaping? If the chip size is 1 inch x 1 inch or smaller (in two dimensions), recent research has shown that EAB does not survive and the chips can be used without concern.If the chip size is larger, however, it is best to bury or burn these chips(according to local ordinance) as soon as practical to prevent spreading EAB into new areas.

18.Can I use the wood from an EAB infested ash as firewood?Yes, with one qualification. Once the ash tree is cut into pieces, the pieces can be used as firewood on your property. Please do not take infested firewood with you on camping trips, tailgating, hunting, or other places because you will spread EAB.

19.What can my ash tree be used for, besides firewood? Depending on the straightness of the trunk and main branches, ash killed by EAB can be processed for lumber or can be debarked and used for outdoor furniture or landscaping. Pieces of scrap wood with the bark still attached should be burned, buried, or chipped.

20.What generalrecommendations are availableto communities?The Iowa DepartmentofNatural Resources has worked withseveralcommunitiesto dealwith EABinfestations. ContactTivonFeeley(515-725-8453)or Emma Hanigan (515-249-1732) formore information.

21.WherecanIfindcurrentinformationabout EABonthe Internet?Sitestogathercurrent informationabout thisexotic pest include:

a.National:

b.ISU Extension & Outreach:

c.IDALS:

d.IDNR:

22.Who is a localcontact? Call your countyIowa State UniversityExtension & Outreach office for more information:Carroll County 712-792-2364; Taylor County712-523-2137

If you live in another Iowa county and would like to contact your Extension & Outreach office, visit click on your county; the phone number is in the blue box in the upper right corner of a county’s web page.