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We often go to PA and stay in a cabin. The owners are very emphatic warning us to not bring our own firewood. That's also true here in Maryland. My oldest son camps in western Maryland and used to take his own (well it was from my woodpile). No longer.
We often go to PA and stay in a cabin. The owners are very emphatic warning us to not bring our own firewood. That's also true here in Maryland. My oldest son camps in western Maryland and used to take his own (well it was from my woodpile). No longer.
We often go to PA and stay in a cabin. The owners are very emphatic warning us to not bring our own firewood. That's also true here in Maryland. My oldest son camps in western Maryland and used to take his own (well it was from my woodpile). No longer.
To me it doesn't add up how this pest moved so fast. They state: "We know EAB adults can fly at least 1/2 mile from the ash tree where they emerge. Many infestations began when people moved infested ash trees from nurseries, logs, or firewood to other areas that did not have infestations. Shipments of ash nursery trees and ash logs with bark are now regulated, and transporting firewood outside of the quarantined areas is illegal, but transport of infested firewood remains a problem." from this link: Emerald Ash Borer | FAQ. But it still seems like it spread far too fast for the few years it has been in our Country. I am just wondering if there are other factors besides the transportation of the wood and infected trees? Supposedly the life cycle depends on laying their eggs on our Ash trees and the larvae feeding off the trees.
In comparison the new lanternflies can hitchhike on our vehicles; of course they are spreading extremely fast and it will not be long before they catch up to the emerald Ash borers and have a larger range. They will further weaken or kill trees that were damaged by any of these other pest.
When they were first mentioned here in Maryland, which was at least ten years ago, DNR here postulated transport in wood products from China (I think. Foreign importation in any event).
When they were first mentioned here in Maryland, which was at least ten years ago, DNR here postulated transport in wood products from China (I think. Foreign importation in any event).
With the gypsy moths they were released in 1868 or 1869 and it took them 150 years and they did not spread as far as the emerald Ash borer spread in 16 years. I speculate that the lanternflies will catch up to the EABs in no time.
To me it doesn't add up how this pest moved so fast. They state: "We know EAB adults can fly at least 1/2 mile from the ash tree where they emerge. ..... I am just wondering if there are other factors besides the transportation of the wood and infected trees? Supposedly the life cycle depends on laying their eggs on our Ash trees and the larvae feeding off the trees.
Dispersal. We studied the dispersal potential of EAB using flight mills, which allowed us to measure the distance EAB adults flew. We found that mated females flew further than unmated females and males. The average distance flown by mated females was about 3 km, however, 20% flew >10 km and 1% flew >20 km. These findings demonstrate one of the reasons that eradication of EAB in North America has been unsuccessful.
I'm betting they can fly a lot further than the above studies have shown, and will do so in swarms if absolutely necessary. Just like many other species of beetles can do.
A little story for you. As many here know, the west's version is the bark beetles that have in recent years been decimating our forests and gradually working their way from the northwest across the continent towards the south and east. Until a ranger reported the following sighting a few years ago it had not been realized how far or fast they can fly, or at what elevations, or that they may congregate to fly in vast swarms.
One day at sunset a forest ranger in the Rocky Mountains in BC was atop a high watch tower scanning his region for wildfires to the southeast when he noticed a big shadow crossing the land. It was going counter to the direction the wind was blowing so he knew it wasn't a cloud blocking the setting sun and he searched for what was causing the shadow. At first he thought it must be a flock of birds but upon viewing through his binoculars he saw it was a huge swarm of bark beetles headed southeast towards the high, snow covered mountain peaks quite a distance away. He watched and video recorded the progress of the swarm until it had flown OVER and beyond the high mountain peaks many, many miles away from his location and disappeared from sight. Then he reported it to the local authorities invested in bark beetle research.
Prior to that ranger sighting and recording that phenomenon it had not been know the bark beetles were capable of swarming and flying for such vast distances, let alone at such high elevations in freezing cold air temperatures above such high mountain peaks. And bark beetles have been a problem many years longer than EAB's. So, if bark beetles and other beetles (ex: ladybugs swarm at sunset, seasonally twice a year too) are capable of such a feat, who is to say that the EAB beetles are not also capable, and that after sunsets they may be spreading more rapidly in such a manner?
I'm betting they can fly a lot further than the above studies have shown, and will do so in swarms if absolutely necessary. Just like many other species of beetles can do.
A little story for you. As many here know, the west's version is the bark beetles that have in recent years been decimating our forests and gradually working their way from the northwest across the continent towards the south and east. Until a ranger reported the following sighting a few years ago it had not been realized how far or fast they can fly, or at what elevations, or that they may congregate to fly in vast swarms.
One day at sunset a forest ranger in the Rocky Mountains in BC was atop a high watch tower scanning his region for wildfires to the southeast when he noticed a big shadow crossing the land. It was going counter to the direction the wind was blowing so he knew it wasn't a cloud blocking the setting sun and he searched for what was causing the shadow. At first he thought it must be a flock of birds but upon viewing through his binoculars he saw it was a huge swarm of bark beetles headed southeast towards the high, snow covered mountain peaks quite a distance away. He watched and video recorded the progress of the swarm until it had flown OVER and beyond the high mountain peaks many, many miles away from his location and disappeared from sight. Then he reported it to the local authorities invested in bark beetle research.
Prior to that ranger sighting and recording that phenomenon it had not been know the bark beetles were capable of swarming and flying for such vast distances, let alone at such high elevations in freezing cold air temperatures above such high mountain peaks. And bark beetles have been a problem many years longer than EAB's. So, if bark beetles and other beetles (ex: ladybugs swarm at sunset, seasonally twice a year too) are capable of such a feat, who is to say that the EAB beetles are not also capable, and that after sunsets they may be spreading more rapidly in such a manner?
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In your link it does state that 1% of the EAB females will fly up to 20 km. It also states that the females lay 55 eggs in their lifetime; but some can lay up to 150 eggs. Lanternflies lay 30 to 50 eggs; but will lay them on any shinny surface (including vehicles). Our Gypsy moths can lay 500 to 1000 eggs; but they have only spread at about 20 km/year. It has taken them a long time to spread across the NE. I just feel that we are overlooking some aspect of their spread. I cannot picture contaminated wood products spreading these pest so fast. Our gypsy moths also deposited eggs on many different trees and could have spread even faster if all of this was laid on the back of contaminated wood products.
From your link: "The best early sign of EAB infestation in an area is woodpecker feeding on the main upper limbs and large branches of ash trees. Woodpeckers are important predators of EAB living under the bark of ash trees. Evidence of woodpecker feeding is readily observed because they remove patches of bark from trunks while scavenging, resulting in light-colored (orange-pink) patches of bark along the usual grey weathered ash trunks." Perhaps that is why I had trouble with Downy woodpeckers this year? They might be multiplying faster with more available food? That also explains the tan bark in my first picture.
I did not know what to look for until I was down at my sister's house and she showed my her Ash trees. Hers were in worse condition than mine and she is only about seven miles away.
You can save an Ash Tree but it isn't inexpensive if a large tree.
We have one in our front yard, we planted it the year before the Emerald Ash Borer invaded Detroit via wooden shipping crates delivered to an area auto plant from China. I have been treating our tree with "Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub" since the Detroit infestation was first discovered. It is priced at over $70 per gallon at the Big Box home centers, you apply it to the soil surrounding the tree as a diluted liquid, one ounce of poison for each inch of trunk circumference measured at chest height.
The instructions say to treat once per year. I treat our lone tree twice per year. As the tree has grown to have a 12-inch diameter trunk a gallon now provides for only three treatments.
We had three trees trimmed by a professional arborist two years ago. After the shock of seeing a White Ash tree still standing in Michigan wore off, they inspected the tree and gave it a clean bill of health.
Yes, there are a few D-shaped scars on the trunk form the insects attempting to infect our tree the the poison did its job.
You can save an Ash Tree but it isn't inexpensive if a large tree.
We have one in our front yard, we planted it the year before the Emerald Ash Borer invaded Detroit via wooden shipping crates delivered to an area auto plant from China. I have been treating our tree with "Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub" since the Detroit infestation was first discovered. It is priced at over $70 per gallon at the Big Box home centers, you apply it to the soil surrounding the tree as a diluted liquid, one ounce of poison for each inch of trunk circumference measured at chest height.
The instructions say to treat once per year. I treat our lone tree twice per year. As the tree has grown to have a 12-inch diameter trunk a gallon now provides for only three treatments.
We had three trees trimmed by a professional arborist two years ago. After the shock of seeing a White Ash tree still standing in Michigan wore off, they inspected the tree and gave it a clean bill of health.
Yes, there are a few D-shaped scars on the trunk form the insects attempting to infect our tree the the poison did its job.
It looks like it would be about $40 to treat a tree for about 3 years, with your twice a year treatment, which would not be that bad. But I have to do a good survey and figure out if I have trees I want to save.
Thanks for the suggestion!
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