Every year, just before Memorial Day, I work with colleagues from the North Dakota Forest Service and the North Dakota Department of Agriculture to run an information campaign during Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week.
Emerald Ash Borer is an insect native to Asia that attacks and kills ash trees like our native green and black ash.
We’re not just “celebrating” the week, but using it as an opportunity to remind people of the importance of tree diversity and the role of firewood in the spread of this harmful insect.
However, as a scientist, I would like to start with some data:
- 35 – Number of states where EAB was found. Fortunately, North Dakota is still not one of them, but the insect has been found in the Sioux Falls area of South Dakota, Sauk Center, Minnesota, and even Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- 5 miles per year – The average spread of EAB, just by flying.
- 55+ mph – The rate of spread of EAB when moving in infested firewood.
- 55 – Average number of eggs laid by a female EAB.
- 150 – Maximum number of eggs laid by a female EAB.
- 30% – Proportion of conservation plants in North Dakota, consisting of green ash.
- 60% – Proportion of native forests in North Dakota made up of green ash.
- 65% + – amount of green ash in many North Dakota communities.
- 250 – Estimated number of EAB traps to be distributed by NDDA this summer.
- 0 – Number of EABs found in North Dakota to date.
Every year my colleagues and I inspect dozens of ash trees across the state to see if they are infected with EAB. So far we haven’t found an EAB, and we hope this will continue in 2021. But the insect is getting closer every year, and that is worrying given the high percentage of ash trees in our forests.
Fortunately, we can take several steps to minimize the risk of EAB. If you are going to use firewood, buy it where you will burn it first. If you go camping, get your firewood at your destination. Don’t bring it with you. Moving infected firewood is one of the main methods of EAB dissemination. Most campsites have firewood for sale on site or have local dealers listed.
Second, we can treat our forests like the long-term investment they are. As my financial advisor likes to say: diversify! Diversify! Diversify! The North Dakota Tree Selector (https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/tree-selector) has a list of a number of tree (and shrub) species that are widely adapted across North Dakota.
If you think your ash trees may be infected with EAB, please contact your County Extension Agent, the NDFS, or the NDDA to arrange an on-site visit. When this destructive insect is in North Dakota, we want to find it sooner rather than later.
I am grateful that EAB has not been found here yet. Each year we delay gives us more time to plant new / different types of trees. What are you going to plant this year?
