More ash borer news

I suspect this pest will eventually be a common problem throughout the US. Unfortunately, there are too many of us who don't heed the requests not to move firewood. That, coupled with natural expansion, even though slow, is obviously steady.

No matter what we do the EAB will travel on its own!

........... coupled with natural expansion, even though slow, is obviously steady.

That sums it up. There is no stopping the Emerald Ash Borer beetles.

What was unseen here in PA a decade ago, is now literally decimating all the ash trees in the state. Watched it slowly spread from Wisconsin through Ohio and into Pennsylvania. Like the pine borer beetles in the west destroying thousands of acres of pines. :(

dodge guy wrote:
No matter what we do the EAB will travel on its own!

This may be true, or not.. I do recall many years ago another tree pest that was killing trees,, Finally the arborists figured out how to kill the pest and save the trees.. It may happen, with this one too, and the Pine whatever it is out west.

or not,, Because science is being seriously impaired now days.

But that is a topic for elsewhere.

But the big thing is we got to stop transporting untreated wood. PERIOD. I recall a couple years ago reading about a family of RVers or Campers hauling over 500 pounds of bark-on untreated firewood across state lines.... The fine was amazing, and the police had a nice bonfire in a protected area cause that's the only sure way to control it now.

Myself, I have transported infected wood, but ONLY within a quarantine area. (Detroit to Davison MI, both in the same area).

Never outside the area, even to a higher level quarantine area.

I have also compared the cost of buying Firewood NEAR (not in) the campground v/s the cost of splitting and transporting my own.

Cheaper to buy it where you burn it unless it is a very short trip to the Camp Ground. (Detroit-Davison about 1 hour drive (60 miles) I'd not want to haul it farther.

Oh the tree was one of my own had to be cut down as it was a hazard.

We've lost several ash trees in our lot due to the EAB. One even blew on our roof in a November storm. It was due to be downed the following week. Although Indiana requires all firewood to have bark removed, we are no longer even asked if we have firewood when entering a State Park. The infestation crept closer every year through Michigan into Northern Indiana into my trees. It's going to happen. People are going to carry untreated wood into uninfected areas. It's going to happen naturally also.

Some people have to look at the big picture instead of focusing of the transporting of firewood alone being responsible for spreading tree killing beetles. There are many more factors involved. While not transporting infected firewood will slow the spread, it will not stop the spread of these destructive pests. :(

How many campers actually carried firewood along with the from the lower 48 state all the way to Alaska? :@

In a perfect world the bugs would have eaten themselves out of house and home and died off. They would have most likely cleaned out a State or three but that would have been all... in a perfect world.
With the help of knuckleheads they managed to spread all over.

So does wood other than ash carry the EAB?

Our village and surrounding towns/cities lost all of our ash trees. No campgrounds in a 50 mile radius, yet the campgrounds still have their ash trees intact and healthy. So if transporting firewood was the problem, you would think the campgrounds would've lost thier trees also?

As was stated he EAB will travel on its own no matter what we think we can do! But it is easier and feels better to point the finger than accept what nature has given us to deal with!