The top species affecting the council could be in Cowlitz County but no sightings have been reported yet are the emerald ash borer, the spotted lantern fly, and the Asian and citrus longhorn beetle, she said.
Emerald ash drills are found in ash trees and “make V-shaped holes like a big smile” when they exit the tree, Slusher said.
“I lived in Ohio until 10 years ago, and 15 or 16 years ago they were talking about the emerald ash drill,” she said. “It’s a beautiful little beetle, half an inch long, emerald green and iridescent … It only attacks ash trees and when I went (Ohio) I saw some damage. The ash trees are all gone now, every single ash tree, and they really don’t want that here. “
The spotted lantern fly would also “devastate our parks and possibly the forest industries,” said Slusher along with the citrus longhorn beetle, as it damages or kills both trees.
Washington State Department of Agriculture’s public engagement specialist Karla Salp said regular inspections of her farms “play a critical role in protecting Washington’s unique environment from the destruction that invasive pests can cause.”
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“Vigilant residents can help identify infestations if they are easy to manage,” said Salp. “This not only saves time and money, but above all limits the damage that invasive pests cause in our gardens and courtyards, local and national parks, as well as farms and forests.”
