|
|
The latest news about the emerald ash borer isn’t good.
Numerous infestations in the northwestern part of Ohio have caused the quarantine area to grow substantially.
With limited money to battle the insect in 2006, the state has suspended eradication efforts in contiguous quarantined areas. Consequently, the borer will continue to spread, ultimately eliminating ash trees in northwestern Ohio.
But the eradication of isolated infestations outside northwestern Ohio will continue.
Last year, Gov. Bob Taft supported the president’s proposed $32 million budget to fight the emerald ash borer, despite estimates that Ohio alone would need at least $24 million.
| HOW DO YOU DO IT? |
In past articles from Lawn & Landscape, the emerald ash borer (EAB) was named the No. 1 pest that lawn care and landscape professionals should watch out for. Do you keep up with EAB news or educate your customers on similar infestations in your region? Let us know what tools and techniques you use to ensure that your cusotmers understand what's going on in the pest world and know what services you have available to help stem the tide. Visit the Lawn & Landscape Message Board to share your thoughts! |
This year, the federal agriculture budget allotted only $10 million for the entire regional program, covering Indiana, Ohio and Michigan. So far, Ohio has received $1.25 million of that money.
In view of the limited federal money, Ohio has developed containment plans in several areas:
- The state will continue regulation and enforcement in state quarantined areas. Moving nonconiferous firewood and ash-tree materials out of quarantined areas in northwestern Ohio is illegal.
- Ohio also will begin statewide monitoring and expand the "detection-trees" program. Detection trees are ash trees that are girdled to attract adult emerald ash borers in the area and later are cut down to be checked for larvae. The trees are keys to early detection. More than 15,000 detection trees will crisscross the state before adult borers begin to emerge in May.
- Infestations that arise outside of the containment area in northwestern Ohio will be eradicated as federal money becomes available. Priorities are the southernmost and easternmost points of infestation.
- Statewide education efforts through private and public partnerships will continue, focusing on detecting infestation and stopping the movement of emerald ash borers through firewood and other means.
- The Ohio State University Extension, in consultation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture, has revised its emerald ash borer recommendations since the suspension of eradication efforts in northwestern Ohio.
Property owners in northwestern Ohio might want to apply an insecticide annually. Several options are available, including systemic insecticides that are applied as soil treatments, trunk injections or trunk implants. Protective sprays also can be applied to the trunk, branches and foliage.
Some insecticide formulations can be purchased and applied by homeowners, others only by professionals.
In some cases, replacing a tree might be more cost effective. While some insecticide treatments have been promising, success is not guaranteed. In some research trials, trees have continued to decline from borer attacks despite being treated in successive years; in other trials, treatments failed completely.
Jane C. Martin is the horticulturist for Ohio State University Extension-Franklin County.