The Agrilus planipennis, or Emerald Ash Borer, is a pest that targets Ash trees. Here, learn more about the insect as part of your commitment to tree maintenance. The pest has become a problem in Kentucky along with many other states, including Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, and Louisiana.

What Is the Emerald Ash Borer?

The Emerald Ash Borer came from Asia, most likely via packing materials, and was discovered on U.S. soil in 2002. It is a member of the beetle family with a vividly green body featuring a metallic sheen. Its abdomen has a copper hue.

The insect can be likened to a jewel-colored grasshopper in appearance and is about ½ inch long and ⅛ inch wide as an adult. Larvae are white with flat heads and segmented bodies.

How Can Emerald Ash Borers Hurt Trees?

The metallic green insects injure Ash trees by laying eggs in tree bark layers. The eggs hatch about a week later and begin boring into the tree to feed on its inner bark materials, including phloem, or the vascular tissues in plants responsible for metabolic processes.

Larvae go through pupal stages while in the tree, where they stay during the winter and leave in the spring as adults, creating D-shaped holes in their wake.

Symptoms of Emerald Ash Borer infestations include woodpecker damage because the birds consume the larvae. Since infestations start at the crown of the tree, branch dieback at the top is common.

Branches subsequently die from the top down. Other signs include vertical bark splits as well as yellow leaves if the tree is experiencing drought.

What Are Some Tree Maintenance & Prevention Tips?

If you think there is an Emerald Ash Borer infestation on your property, call your local plant health authorities and the USDA Emerald Ash Borer Hotline at 1-866-322-4512. Tell them where you found the infestation and also contact your local arborists to determine the next steps. I

f you have firewood on your property where the infestation was first identified, you will need to burn it to prevent the problem from spreading.

Should ash trees on your property contain Emerald Ash Borers, pesticides may be enough to contain the infestation. If the problem is severe, tree removal is the only option to preserve the other woody perennials on your property. 

Schedule tree maintenance with Big Beaver Tree Service in Nicholasville, KY, if you suspect Emerald Ash Borers. Insect control is among the many tree maintenance services from this company that has served the region for over 30 years. Call (859) 489-6795 today to schedule an appointment or learn more about tree maintenance services online. Get additional advice on Facebook.