Emerald Ash Borer Found in Ohio – Again

The emerald ash borer has shown up again in northwest Ohio, this time in ash trees imported from Michigan for landscaping at the Crossroads of America shopping plaza on U.S. 20 in southeastern Rossford.

The tiny, metallic-green Asian beetle quickly has become the scourge of forestry officials throughout North America, so destructive that they say it could wipe out billions of the continent’s ash trees within a few years. Ash is an important part of the economy, found in items such as wood flooring, tool handles, and baseball bats.

Surveying will begin soon to see whether the beetle has spread beyond the Wood County shopping plaza and to help officials decide how many trees should be removed or treated, noted Ohio Department of Agriculture spokesman Melanie Wilt.

”We’re still trying to find out how widespread it is and how many trees are involved,” Wilt explained.

Source: Toledo Blade