Emerald Ash Borer in Milwaukee County

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed yesterday the presence of the emerald
ash borer in Milwaukee County. A small metallic-green, wood-boring beetle that grows to 3/8 - 1/2 inch long and 1/16 inch wide, the larval form spends its life feeding beneath the bark of an ash tree, damaging its vascular system and typically killing its host in three to five years.

No big deal, right? Wrong.

This little green beetle is destroying trees in the Great Lakes region at an alarming rate. Since its initial discovery in southeastern Michigan in 2002, some estimates claim that as many as 60 million ash trees have been killed by emerald ash borer in infested areas throughout Michigan's entire Lower Peninsula, parts of the Upper Peninsula, as well as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

What does this mean for you? First, you must adhere to firewood regulations. Second, you should also become familiar with the signs and symptoms that mark an ash borer infestation, and third, you should report any suspected infestations (if two or more symptoms or signs are present) by calling the Emerald Ash Borer Hotline at 1-800-462-2803.

Visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website for more information.

Image courtesy of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and
the Department of Natural Resources