From the Cornell Hudson Valley Horticulture Newsletter (and see below for a story I wrote a few years ago):

“Emerald ash borer continues its march across the United States and Canada. As of October 1, 2008 there are new infestations reported in the states of Missouri, Wisconsin and Virginia. In addition EAB has now been confirmed in the province of Quebec, Canada about 20 miles or so north of the New York State border. Survey traps (about 200) were placed in northern NY this past July.

“For up-to-date maps of the occurrence of EAB in the US go to: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/surveyinfo.cfm

“In addition, the federal government is banning imports of untreated firewood from Canada amid concerns it could carry an invasive pest species into the United States. The quarantine imposed by the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requires that all hardwood firewood entering the United States from Canada must be heated to almost 160 degrees for 75 minutes.
See: http://www.syracuse.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/business-87/1224871466275280.xml&storylist=busines

“For more information on NYSDEC’s ban on the movement of firewood go to: http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/44008.html.

—Submitted by Stephanie D. Mallozzi, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
———————TO LEARN MORE—————-

Here’s an article about the emerald ash borer I wrote for the paper three years ago:

BEETLE MANIA

WATCH OUT FOR THIS DESTRUCTIVE PEST THAT HAS ITS ANTENNAE AIMED AT THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY
NEW YORK’S MILLIONS OF ASH TREES ARE AT RISK FROM A SMALL, GREEN BEETLE FROM ASIA

Bill Cary The Journal News
Another hungry beetle that’s moving closer to New York, especially the western part of the state, is known as the emerald ash borer.

Since being discovered in the western suburbs of Detroit in 2002, this emerald-green beetle that’s smaller than a dime has attacked about 8 million ash trees in Michigan alone, leaving them dead or dying.

“That number may actually be an underestimate,” says Jason Denham, a senior forester with the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation who spoke earlier this year at a tree pests seminar at Dutchess County Cornell Cooperative Extension in Millbrook.

“Most trees die within one to four years of being infested,” Denham says.

So far, the beetle has not been found in New York, but Denham, like other entomologists and foresters, worries about the state’s vulnerability to the emerald ash borer.

“We have millions of ash trees in urban and forest areas,” he says. “The nearest infestation is about 200 miles from the New York border.”

Also, we have existing conditions such as ash yellows disease that mimic the damage caused by the beetle, making early detection difficult.

Summer DEC employees are currently doing test studies throughout the state to look for any signs of infestation, Denham says.

In addition to Michigan, the beetle has been found in Ohio, Indiana and Ontario, which is the infestation site closest to New York. Much like New York and New Jersey have done to fight the Asian longhorned beetle, all of these areas have cut down and chipped trees with infestations and established quarantine zones to contain the beetle.

Officials have also strongly urged residents not to transport firewood from one area to another because the beetle can fly easily from piles of firewood to live trees. Another problem is that people sometimes buy trees when they are on vacation and then take them home for planting.

Native to Asia, the emerald ash borer is a flat-headed beetle with an emerald-green metallic appearance. The adult beetle is about ÿ inch long.

All ash species are susceptible, with green ash being the most at risk. Most ash trees in New York are either green ash or white ash, Denham says.

“There’s the potential for it to have an enormous environmental impact and economic impact on New York state,” he says. “It depends on how contained an area we have.”

“If we find it very early, we have a good chance of acting swiftly and preventing another Michigan situation here,” he says. “That’s why early detection is so important.”

In urban areas, many communities planted ash trees to replace American elms that were devastated by Dutch elm disease in the 1950s and ‘60s.

Signs of infestation from the ash borer include basal sprouting, a burst of new green growth at the base of the tree; vertical splits in the bark with serpentine galleries, or tunnels, underneath; and D-shaped exit holes in the bark.

Adults, which live just three to four weeks, are active in late May to mid-August, feeding heavily on the foliage of the ash trees. The females lay eggs on or just under the bark.

When the larvae hatch, they bore through the bark and spend the winter there, making aggressive galleries under the bark and causing canopy dieback.

After the larvae pupate, they emerge as adult beetles through D-shaped exit holes in the bark of the ash tree. Most have a one-year life cycle, but beetles with two-year cycles have been found in Michigan.

For more info …
For more information, visit www.emeraldashborer.info or call your local Cornell Cooperative Extension at 914-285-4640 in Westchester, 845-429-7085 in Rockland and 845-278-6738 in Putnam. The regional office for the state Department of Environmental Conservation for Putnam, Rockland and Westchester counties can be reached at 845-256-3000.