Illinois Pros Attend Training Camp to Fight Against Emerald Ash Borer

Arborists and tree care professionals in Illinois have had enough. Together, they are gearing up to fight against the emerald ash borer (EAB), a rapidly spreading epidemic that is killing ash trees throughout the Midwest. To help educate and better prepare these professionals for this devastating pest, an Invasive Pest Field Day training session will be held Sept. 26 at the Pheasant Run Resort & Spa in St. Charles, Ill.

Emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. Since its introduction, EAB has killed nearly every ash tree in southeastern Michigan, has spread to 40,000 square miles across Ohio, Indiana and southwestern Ontario, and has recently been detected in northeast Illinois.

The potential impact in Illinois could be devastating. EAB threatens to destroy one-fifth of all Chicago-area trees and 130 million ash trees state-wide.

The pest’s rapid spread is attributed to the transport of firewood or ash logs from infested regions to outlying areas; additionally, EAB can fly up to two miles in search of a host tree. The larvae bore into and feed on the vascular tissue of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. To date, efforts to eradicate local infestations of the pest by quarantine and cutting down all the ash trees in infested areas have been unsuccessful. Throughout the Midwest, more than 20 million ash trees have been killed and in many cities, the only remaining ash trees are those that were treated with Merit® or other imidacloprid-containing products.

At the Invasive Pest Field Day, a free, one-day event, professionals will hear a series of informative and engaging lectures, presented by local experts on the management of EAB. Topics will include current information on EAB biology, the role of tree health and cultivars, EAB survey updates and current quarantine and compliance agreement information, and the efficacy of insecticide treatments. Additionally, attendees will participate in outdoor hands-on demonstrations of various insecticide application methods from Bayer Environmental Science, a business division of Bayer CropScience LP, and Arborjet. Event speakers include Phil Nixon of the University of Illinois, Chris WIlliamson of the University of Madison-Wisconsin and Fred Miller of Joliet Junior College. Dave Sutton of Tri-City Tree Doctor will also be speaking about real-world success stories, as well as the challenges facing tree and lawn care professionals when treating foreign invasive pests.