Total Landscape Care Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/132471
chemical care BY CINDY RATCLIFF PHOTO: PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES FORESTRY ARCHIVE, BUGWOOD.ORG As Emerald Ash Borers continue to spread west, early detection will mean the difference between a good defense and total destruction of trees. Emerald ash borers (EAB) were headline news when they were first discovered in 2002 in southeastern Michigan. Awareness of these exotic beetles heightened as they tore through that area of the state, killing tens of millions of ash trees along the way. Since then, even though headlines have all but disappeared, the pest hasn't. Now present in 18 states (most recently in New Hampshire and Kansas) and two provinces in Canada, the EAB continues to threaten ash trees and researchers see no end in sight to how far west it may go. While treatment plans can effectively manage this pest, the challenge lies in detecting it. Once you know for certain your ash tree is infected, chances are, it's too late to save the tree. Instead, tracking the EAB and treating trees that J U N E 2013 TLC0613_ChemCare.indd 47 Tota lLa nd s ca p e C a re . c o m 47 5/23/13 3:48 PM