The Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis or Agrilus marcopoli) is a shiny green beetle and an invasive species known for killing ash trees in the United States. Its natural range is eastern Russia, northern China, Japan, and Korea. It was accidentally imported to North America from China in the 1990s and has since destroyed more than six million ash trees in southeastern Michigan. It was discovered in June 2002 near Detroit. It has since been found in a few other parts of the U.S. and Canada. Ohio and Ontario have seen emerald ash borer migration from Michigan while Maryland and Virginia received shipments of contaminated trees from a Michigan nursery.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is attempting to exterminate all of these beetles on the continent, and has taken the unusual measure of destroying every ash tree within a half-mile (800 m) radius of known infested trees. Southeastern Michigan is a quarantine zone from which ash trees or even firewood cannot be removed. Large fines have been imposed on a few companies that violated the ban, including one that was removing ash trees from southeast Michigan and is believed to be responsible for spreading the beetle to another county. The USDA has committed at least $40 million dollars for eradiction in 2004 and expects to spend over $350 million in the next twelve years.
The insect is unusually difficult to kill. More than seven billion ash trees are currently at risk. Nearly 114 million board feet (33,000 m³) of ash saw timber with a value of $25.1 billion is grown in the eastern United States each year.
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Last updated: 10-21-2005 21:16:18
