The Emerald Ash Borer is a tiny little creature that is causing the most severe damage to our forests in the United States of any living creature. The metallic green beetle is only a ½ inch long and an 1/8 of an inch wide yet it is destroying trees at an unprecedented rate.

The beetle has been in Russian, Japan, Korea and northern China for some time, and was found for the first time in 2002 in Michigan. While we can not be certain it is widely believed that the Emerald Ash Borer arrived here via the wood in shipping containers. Currently the beetle is found across the entire northern United States, from New Hampshire to Colorado and in most of southern Canada. Concern of the beetle's further spread via ash firewood is a great concern.

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This usually happens higher in the tree where the emerald ash borer prefers to attack first. If there are large numbers of larvae under the bark the woodpecker damage can become severe leaving strips of bark at the base that have been pulled off of the tree.

Fortunately the United States Department of Agriculture and Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have organized a national plan to deal with this threat to our forests. This includes training of Arborist on how to effectively treat Ash trees for the Emerald Ash Borer, as well as quarantine of infested area. This means that ash firewood, nursery trees, and ash logs may not be moved out of areas where there are EAB.

The most effective agent against EAB is TreeAzin®. TreeAzin® kills more than 95% of larvae, significantly reduces the number of eggs laid, and most eggs are not viable. Tree service providers such as Walker Tree Care in Boulder, Colorado walkertreeboulder.com have been trained in certified in the application of the treatment and are part of a national effort to rid or trees of this