Ash borer will be discussed at meetings

Local News

December 12, 2009

Two public informational meetings on the emerald ash borer, an exotic species of beetle that destroys ash trees, will be held Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Batesville Memorial Public Library at 3 and 6 p.m.

The newly implemented quarantine on regulated ash items and hardwood firewood will be discussed as the insect was recently found in Ripley County’s Adams Township.

Each meeting will include a brief presentation, ending with a question-and-answer period. There will be displays about the insect and symptoms of EAB available. “This format allows residents to focus on topics that interest them and speak directly to an expert,” revealed Jodie Ellis, Purdue University entomologist.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service will be available.

The EAB, which is native to parts of Asia, was first found in the U.S. in the Detroit area in 2002. Since then, it has been found in several other states and 31 counties in Indiana.

The insect has killed millions of ash trees in the United States and Canada. “This is a chance for residents of Ripley County to find out more about EAB and how its presence in their area will affect them,” said Ellis.

The adult emerald ash borer is slender and a bright, metallic, coppery-green color. It is about one-third of an inch long, making it difficult to spot in tree leaves. The larval, or immature, form of the pest destroys live ash trees by eating the vascular tissue that supplies nutrients to the tree. The tree starves to death three years after the vascular tissue is destroyed.

For more information, persons can contact Ellis at 765-494-0822 or visit www. entm.purdue.edu/EAB.