January 29, 2008
Emerald Ash Borer in Homewood
The emerald ash borer has been found in three trees in the Calumet Country Club area in Homewood.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:11 AM
January 29, 2008
Emerald Ash Borer in Glenview
Glenview, Illinois officials confirmed the first case of emerald ash borer in the suburb Monday.
The metallic-green pest was detected in a tree at the far eastern edge of Glenview during inspections of the 5,251 ash trees on village property.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 3:05 AM
January 29, 2008
Emerald Ash Borer in Country Club Hills
The Illinois Department of Agriculture on Thursday confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer in Country Club Hills, according to a news release issued by the city.
Six trees near Interstate 80 on the north side of Country Club Hills were inspected, and a positive field confirmation was determined. Ash trees in poor condition on city property will be removed. Other trees in the city are being inspected.
The emerald ash borer is a slender, bright green beetle that destroys ash trees. It takes many years before the tree shows signs of being infested after the beetle deposits eggs on the surface or cracks in ash tree bark. The eggs hatch to release larvae that feed on the tree; as they grow, they slowly kill the tree.
The city has nearly 1,200 ash trees planted on rights-of-way and public properties, approximately 32 percent of the city's trees, city spokeswoman Wanda Comein said.
Because of a Michigan infestation in 2002, the city has not planted green ash trees and has implemented a tree planting plan to include a wide diversity of tree species. The city also started an ash reduction program to further control the spread of the pest, according to Comein.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:47 AM
January 18, 2008
Emerald Ash Borer in Geneva
The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA) confirmed today that the emerald ash borer has taken up residence in the City of Geneva.
An arborist employed by Hendrickson's Care of Trees Tree Company discovered the EAB infestation while responding to a residential call. The confirmed infestation is on public and private properties northeast of the intersection of Randall Road and Route 38. IDA officials responded immediately with a limited survey of the area and results indicate the infestation is limited, at this time, to the immediate area along Bradbury Lane.
The recent and numerous EAB finds underscore the need for communities to be proactive against EAB. IDA urges community officials to initiate an ash-tree-reduction-strategy within their districts. "Begin by taking inventory of all ash trees within the community, budget needs for labor and equipment should large-scale ash tree removals be necessary. Then aggressively begin to cull your poor-conditioned ash trees. Work with local tree care professionals, as they are generally the first line of detection. Establish a formal plan to record and report inventory reduction and reforestation activities. Start now to develop a communication plan should the emerald ash borer be found in your community," says Warren Goetsch, bureau chief for Environmental Programs.
The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a small, metallic green, non-native invasive pest whose larvae feast on the trunks of ash trees thereby cutting off their ability to transport nutrients and ultimately causing the tree's decline. Ash trees can be infested with EAB for a few years before the tree begins to demonstrate any signs of EAB infestation. Symptoms of EAB include canopy dieback, D-shaped exit holes, shoots sprouting from the tree trunks and S-shaped larval galleries underneath the bark.
EAB was first discovered in Illinois in June 2006, in the Windings near Lily Lake in Kane County. The Illinois Department of Agriculture has since confirmed EAB infestations in several communities within Kane, northern Cook, DuPage and LaSalle counties and has issued a quarantine affecting all or parts of 18 of the northeastern-most counties of the state including Kane. As part of a cooperative agreement with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), IDA is responsible for EAB survey, control/eradication and outreach.
This EAB infestation is of little surprise to IDA officials, as it seems to confirm suspicions of its movement pattern. "The Geneva EAB infestation kind of completes the connection between the first 2006 EAB find in Kane County and the earlier find in the summer of 2007 in Glendale Heights in Du Page County. If you look at a map with all the confirmed EAB infestations there is a hint of a definitive pattern, and Geneva was the missing link," says Mark Cinnamon, Nursery Manager for IDA.
City officials will continue to inventory and monitor trees closely to determine the full extent of the EAB infestation.
EAB was first discovered in North America in 2002 in the Detroit and Ontario areas. Since then, it is estimated that approximately 25 million ash trees in North America have been felled due to EAB.
More than 11,000 trees make up the City of Geneva's parkway canopies. The ash species account for approximately 20 percent of that number. As a proactive measure to limit the possible damage from an EAB infestation, the City of Geneva ceased the planting of ash trees in 2002. As a result of the Dutch Elm Disease that devastated Geneva's Elm tree population in the late 70's, the City implemented a tree planting program to diversify tree species to avoid a reoccurrence of another heavily populated canopy devastation.
City staff members will respond immediately to suspect sighting of EAB. It is very important for residents of Geneva to be aware and vigilant in inspecting their ash trees for this pest. If you suspect you may have found adult or larval form of this insect, freeze the insect and bring it the City of Geneva's Public Works Department, 1800 South Street or contact the Public Works Department at 232-1502 or the Illinois Department of Agriculture toll-free hotline 1-800-641-3934.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:46 AM
January 18, 2008
Emerald Ash Borer in Hazel Crest
The Emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has left an estimated 25-million ash trees dead or dying in the U.S. and Canada, has opened a new front in its war on trees: south suburban Cook County. As the borer keeps turning up through Chicagoland, more communities are bracing for unexpected costs that will no doubt strain municipal budgets and resources.
A Morton Arboretum staffer this week found that six "Trap Trees" - among 650 set up in 2005 and 2006 to detect the borers through Northern Illinois - contained larvae, which state officials later determined was Emerald ash borer (EAB). The infested trees - set up in 2005 - are on Hazel Crest public works property near the municipal composting and burning facility. The property is part of what's called Open Lands, near the 170th and California interchange.
The Arboretum conducts the Trap Tree program in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Agriculture and with funding from the federal Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Trap Trees in 2006 detected EAB near Elgin, Batavia, and in Campton Township. As with the other finds, experts will use additional survey methods around the Hazel Crest find to determine the size of the infestation's "footprint." Already, it appears that dozens of additional trees are infested.
The find is significant and an urgent reminder that communities must act, says Arboretum arborist and Community Trees Advocate Edith Makra, who also serves on the governor's Management and Science Advisory Panel for EAB.
"While this find is highly disappointing, it's no surprise. EAB detection has been very challenging and other municipalities may be already infested, though unaware. Hazel Crest is isolated from other finds in the region, pointing out once again that EAB could be anywhere. Communities should inventory and assess their trees, and plan to replace ash trees eventually," Makra says.
The Morton Arboretum and the South Suburban Mayors and Managers' Association (SSMMA) have scheduled a forum where state, federal, University of Illinois Extension, and Arboretum experts will brief public officials on EAB. It will be January 23 at 3:00 PM at SSMMA offices at 1904 West 174th Street, in East Hazel Crest.
Since June of 2006, Emerald ash borer has been detected in four Illinois counties: Cook, DuPage, Kane, and LaSalle. It is expected to cost municipalities, private propertyowners, and the nursery industry billions of dollars in losses.
One in five trees in the Chicago urban area is ash, and there are an estimated 130-million ash trees in Illinois, therefore a large EAB infestation would be devastating to Illinois.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:33 AM
November 20, 2007
Emerald Ash Borer in Carol Stream
The Illinois Department of Agriculture notified Carol Stream officials that during their coordinated EAB surveillance efforts in DuPage County, they detected two infected ash trees in and along the Klein Creek tributary adjacent to both Volunteer Park and Carol Stream Fire Protection District Headquarters which is located north of North Ave. near the intersection with Kuhn Rd. State.
Agriculture officials were drawn to the tree as it demonstrated signs of vertical dieback at the top of the leaf canopy indicative of EAB infestation. A field inspection of the tree discovered the tell-tale D-shaped exit holes made by the borer. Residents are advised that state field inspectors with the IL. Dept. of Agriculture will be inspecting public trees in and around ground zero of the infestation to determine the extent of the infestation's spread. Field inspectors will be easily identified through photo identification badges worn on their jacket and will be traveling in agency marked vehicles.
The EAB was first discovered in DuPage County this past July at the Concord Green shopping Center in Glendale Heights located at the intersection of North Ave. and Bloomingdale Rd. For the past several years, Village officials and staff have been vigilant in their efforts to educate themselves and the residents about the EAB and its possible impact on the community's tree resources. Detailed planning efforts by the Public Works Department staff to address this outbreak have included maintaining a current inventory of parkway trees totaling 7,000, of which approximately 2,750 (40%) are ash trees. Other steps the Village has taken include removing ash trees from the approved subdivision tree code, removing them as a parkway tree program specie, signing a compliance agreement with the IL. Dept. of Agriculture that details rules for moving ash materials out of a quarantined zone and developing a preliminary tree replacement budget should Village trees become infested with the emerald ash beetle.
Just last evening, the Village Board approved a tree purchasing agreement with a regional nursery to set aside a portion of their growing stock for the Village's reforestation efforts should that come to pass. This tree purchasing agreement allows the Village to purchase up to 150 trees a year for the next 5 years at a set cost of $219 per tree through 2012. Also during their November 19th regular meeting, the Village Board also approved to set aside $2.25 million dollars in fund balance to develop an EAB program that furthers the Village's surveillance efforts and advances the Village's community ash reduction effort critical in combating the outbreak.
Home and business owners are asked to become familiar with the proper identification of ash trees and the physical evidence of damage caused by the EAB. Photographs to help with EAB detection and education can be found at www.illinoiseab.com, www.emeraldashborer.info. Homeowners are also asked to prepare for the possible arrival of EAB within their own backyards. They can best prepare by keeping informed regarding the location of any local EAB-infestations and periodically examining their trees for D-shaped exits holes, S-shaped larval galleries, excessive wood pecker damage and/or basal sprouting.
If you believe you have spotted an Emerald ash borer or found evidence of EAB infestation, contact:
Public Works Department @ (630) 871-6260
Univ. of Illinois Cooperative Ext. Office @ (630) 955-1123
Morton Arboretum Plant Clinic @ (630) 719-2424
The life cycle of the EAB during the winter has the larvae remaining under the bark and in the late spring when the weather turns warmer; the larvae hatch in a 7-10 day period and begin feeding into the core of the tree interrupting its ability to transport nutrients up the trunk to the branch canopy. Residents who have an ash tree on their property are asked to inspect the trunk for the D-shaped exit holes indicative of infestation. Since the EAB can easily be transported in ash logs, residents still looking to purchase firewood for the winter are also strongly advised to purchase from a certified firewood supplier that has been issued a USDA Shield or a PPQ540 certificate. To view an actual copy of the USDA shield/certificate log onto the following web link www.agr.state.il.us/eab/data/200710095327.pdf .
Residents are asked not to buy firewood from any supplier who does not produce these agency certifications or whose source of firewood suppliers originates from a quarantined state/county listed on the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture web site at www.emeraldashborer.info/statequarantine.cfm.
Similarly, no agency or property owners who removes an ash tree from a quarantined area is allow to transport the materials from the infested tree to include logs, stumps, roots, branches as well as composed or uncomposted wood chips outside of the quarantined area. Violations are punishable by a fine up to $500 for each occurrence.
Additional information on EAB can be found on the Village's home page at www.carolstream.org/EAB Advisory. If the Emerald Ash Borer is suspected after consulting one of these experts call the Illinois Department of Agriculture at 312-742-3385.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:24 PM
July 26, 2007
Reporting an EAB Infestation
The emerald ash borer is difficult to detect in newly infested trees. Signs of infestation include the presence of metallic-green beetles about half the diameter of a penny on or around ash trees, thinning and yellowing leaves, D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree.
Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to first contact their county Extension office.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:44 AM
July 26, 2007
Watch for Emerald Ash Borer
With the recent identification of Emerald Ash Borer in two more counties, LaSalle and DuPage, it is good to be watchful for the new pest throughout northern Illinois", says John Church, University of Illinois Extension Educator, Natural Resources, Rockford. The Emerald Ash Borer has been found in several other communities over the past year, primarily in northeastern Illinois. The Emerald Ash Borer only affects ash trees, unlike the Asian Longhorned Beetle which was a new devastating tree pest found several years ago and infested more than 10 types of common shade trees.
"One of the major helpful things that individuals can do to help reduce the spread of the pest is to use local firewood and do not transport ash products from fresh wood," says Church. Don't bring in firewood or other ash wood products from infested areas or from a long distance.
Human transport is suspected as the major method of the borer's spread as it does not move on its own very rapidly. If camping in infested areas, leave unused firewood at that site. If buying ash firewood, be sure of its source.
Areas identified with the Emerald Ash Borer are officially quarantined to restrict the movement of wood, wood products and the borer. However, individuals can follow similar guidelines voluntarily to help prevent the spread when in non-quarantined areas as well.
With new sites being found, it is a good time to be a good observer and scout for the borers and their damage. The borer lays eggs in the bark of the tree and when the borer hatches, it will tunnel under the bark and start feeding on the sapwood of the tree, leaving serpentine trails shallowly under the bark. Also, small D-shaped holes in the bark are also a clue, which are left by adult beetles leaving the sapwood. No other insect creates the BB-size D-shaped holes on ashes. Evaluating wood or trees prior to cutting for these exit holes is important as it is one of the signs of infestation. Peeling back the bark may also give an indication of trails and borer larvae.
Often, damage is not noticed until it is too late for effective treatment. As a preventative procedure, homeowners should make sure the trees in their yard are from a multiple number of species, so as to reduce the overall damage and loss from any type of pest that may affect individual tree species.
For more information on the borer, contact the local University of Illinois Extension office at 630-955-1123 or go to the website http://www.mortonarb.org/main.taf?p=3,5,3. The site contains information from numerous agencies and organizations such as U. of I. Extension.
Other good information sites are www.agr.state.il.us/eab at the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the U. of I. blog at http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cook/blogs/eb104/index.html.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 12:11 AM
July 20, 2007
Expanded EAB Quarantine Area
The Illinois Department of Agriculture has expanded its emerald ash borer (EAB) quarantine to include all or portions of the 18 northeastern-most counties of Illinois. Additionally, adjustments were made to the quarantine to further restrict movement of potentially-infested wood products during the EAB flight season.
The most recent detections of the tree-killing beetle in LaSalle and DuPage counties, each a considerable distance outside the present quarantine boundaries, prompted the expansion. The detections were made in the cloverleaf encircling Interstate 80 and Illinois Rt. 251 in Peru and at Concord Green Shopping Center in Glendale Heights.
"These latest EAB finds necessitate a considerable adjustment of the EAB quarantine boundaries as well as some additional requirements for movement of wood products within the quarantined area," Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said. "We must do all we can to limit the artificial spread of this devastating pest. These new boundaries reflect the regional nature oflandscape waste management in the greater Chicago metropolitan area that has been in place for over a decade, and acknowledges the fact that the EAB has probably been present here for five or more years."
The other adjustment to the quarantine helps prevent the artificial spread of the pest during the transport of yard waste and landscape debris within the quarantined area.
"When potentially-infested wood products are being hauled to and from waste management facilities during the EAB flight season, there is a potential for contamination of 'healthy areas' within the quarantine zone," Warren Goetsch, bureau chief of Environmental Programs, said. "The adjustment requires waste haulers to cover the products from an infested area during transport through EAB flight season, which is from June through August, to curb this threat."
Additionally, the quarantine prohibits the removal of the following items from regulated areas:
The emerald ash borer in any living stage of development.
Ash trees of any size.
Ash limbs and branches.
Any cut, non-coniferous firewood.
Bark from ash trees and wood chips larger than one inch from ash trees.
Ash logs and lumber with either the bark or the outer one-inch of sapwood, or both, attached
Any item made from or containing the wood of the ash tree that is capable of spreading the emerald ash borer
Any other article, product or means of conveyance determined by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to present a risk of spreading the beetle infestation.
Anyone convicted of moving prohibited items from the quarantine area without prior certification by an Illinois Department of Agriculture nursery inspector may be fined up to $500.
How the emerald ash borer arrived in Illinois is unknown, but the department suspects it may have been transported here in contaminated firewood.
To avoid the accidental introduction of the beetle to new areas, the department encourages Illinoisans to purchase only locally-grown nursery stock and locally-cut firewood. Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to contact their county Extension office or their village forester for a consultation.
ILLINOIS EAB QUARANTINE AREA
Effective July 19, 2007
1. The entire Counties of Boone, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry, Putnam, Will and Winnebago;
2. The eastern portion of Ogle County described as follows:
A. bounded on the north by the northern Ogle County line from Meridian Road to the eastern Ogle County line;
B. bounded on the east by the eastern Ogle County line;
C. bounded on the south by the southern Ogle County line from the eastern Ogle County line to Meridian Road; and
D. bounded on the west by Meridian Road or its northern projection from the southern Ogle County line to the northern Ogle County line;
3. The eastern portion of Lee County described as follows:
A. bounded on the north by the northern Lee County line from Meridian Road to the eastern Lee County line;
B. bounded on the east by the eastern Lee County line;
C. bounded on the south by the southern Lee County line from the eastern Lee County line to the southerly projection of Meridian Road; and
D. bounded on the west by Meridian Road or its southerly projection from the northern Lee County line to the southern Lee County line;
4. The eastern portion of Bureau County described as follows:
A. bounded on the north by the northern Bureau County line from Illinois Route 40 to the eastern Bureau County line;
B. bounded on the east by the eastern Bureau County line;
C. bounded on the south by the southern Bureau County line from the eastern Bureau County line to Illinois Route 40; and
D. bounded on the west by Illinois Route 40; and
5. The northwestern portion of Livingston County described as follows:
A. bounded on the north by the northern Livingston County line;
B. bounded on the east by Interstate 55 from the northern Livingston County line to the intersection of Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 116;
C. bounded on the south by Illinois Route 116 from the intersection of Interstate 55 and Illinois Route 116 to the western Livingston County line;
and
D. bounded on the west by the western Livingston County line.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 1:20 AM
July 17, 2007
EAB Found in DuPage County
DuPage is the fourth county in Illinois with a confirmed infestation of emerald ash borer (EAB). The Illinois Department of Agriculture today announced the tiny, tree-killing beetle has been discovered at a shopping center in Glendale Heights.
A department nursery inspector made the discovery. While returning from an inspection, he noticed distressed ash trees at the Concord Green Shopping Center and stopped to investigate. Larvae were collected from trees near the intersection of North Avenue and Bloomingdale Ro! ad and submitted to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which confirmed the specimens as EAB larvae late Friday.
"Just like in LaSalle County, where an infestation was confirmed last Wednesday, our staff now will survey ash trees in the surrounding area to determine the size of the infestation," Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke said. "That information will be helpful as we consider adjustments to the quarantine we established to slow the spread of this destructive pest."
The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle native to Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the trees to starve and eventually die. While the beetle does not pose any direct risk to public health, it does threaten the tree population. Since the emerald ash borer was first confirmed in the Midwest in the summer of 2002, it has killed more than 20 million ash trees.
The first beetle detection in Illinois occurred last June in a rural Kane County subdivision west of St. Charles. Subsequent finds were mad e in the northern Cook County communities of Wilmette, Evanston, Winnetka and Skokie and, most recently, in LaSalle County just north of Peru.
Areas currently under quarantine include all of Kane County and parts of northern Cook, western DuPage, northern Kendall and eastern DeKalb counties. The quarantine prohibits the intrastate movement of potentially-contaminated wood products, including ash trees, limbs and branches and all types of firewood. In addition, the entire states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan have been placed under a federal quarantine. It prohibits the interstate movement of these same products.
The emerald ash borer is difficult to detect, especially in newly-infested trees. Citizens should watch for metallic-green beetles about half the diameter of a penny on or near ash trees that are showing signs of disease or stress. Other signs of infestation in ash trees include D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots gr! owing from its base. Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to contact either their county Extension office or village forester.
For more information, visit www.IllinoisEAB.com on the internet.
Posted by Ron Wolford at 2:03 PM
