As if the hemlock woolly adelgid and the asian longhorned beetle weren’t enough, the emerald ash borer is in Massachusetts and they have come for our ash trees! Learn more about the emerald ash borer.

Late last year EAB was found in the town of Dalton in Berkshire County. Two months ago, it was detected in North Andover, the first detection in Eastern Massachusetts.

Currently, there has been no delineation work in North Andover and hence, the extent of the infestation is not known. However, based on the infected trees, it looks as if EAB has been there for five to six years. The infestation in Berkshire County has likely been there for less time than the infection in North Andover. The Department of Conservation and Recreation recently finished their trap tree surveys, and Ken Grooch, DCR’s Forest Heath Program Supervisor says the surveys show that EAB infestations are further in Pittsfield and are likely also in Hinsdale, Washington and Windsor.

With the recent polar vortexes that have passed over Massachusetts, there has been some hope that the severe cold would kill EAB larvae. However, Ken Gooch says this is unlikely as the larvae are insulated in the wood and for the weather to have any effect, it would need to be 20 below zero for an extended amount of time.

The most crucial actions to stop the spread of emerald ash borer are early detection and containment. DCR is doing its best to limit movement but as landowners, you can help! Early detection and reporting is crucial. This time of year, detection can be achieved by looking for “blonding” of ash trees (see picture below taken by Jennifer Orth - MDAR). This is when there are white areas on the ash tree where woodpeckers have pulled the bark off to get at the emerald ash borer larvae. Other signs of infestation are the presence of the insect itself, its larvae, and d-shaped exit holes in the bark. If you discover or suspect an infestation, report it to the Massachusetts Introduced Pest Outreach Program.

Shipments of infested nursery trees, logs and or firewood to non-infected areas are known to be the main cause of the spread. Although shipments of ash nursery trees and ash logs with bark are now regulated and transporting firewood outside the quarantined area is illegal, long distance movement of ash firewood is known to be the main method of the continued spreading of EAB. It is crucial that ash firewood is kept contained. In December, EAB was found in Colorado (a non-infected area). Since EAB do not have the ability to fly the distances need to arrive there, the only explanation is the transportation of firewood. Stop the spread. Keep firewood local! For more information, visit Don't Move Firewood.