Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Advisory

Potentially one of the most destructive alien pests ever introduced in the United States, Emerald Ash Borer represents an immense challenge for Gurnee’s urban forest. The Village has and will continue to participate in statewide scouting efforts, as well as taking steps to minimize the potential impact to our community. Efforts to further diversify our tree population, reduce the number of ash trees in our parkway system, and finalize the EAB Response Plan are under way.
 

LakeCounty has recently been put under quarantine by the Illinois Department of Agriculture after DuPage County became the fourth county in Illinois with a confirmed infestation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). 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. Travelers should avoid taking firewood with them from place to place because the beetles can be transported to new areas in firewood. Instead, firewood should be purchased and burned locally. If you think you may have found EAB, call the Village Forester at 847-599-6800 to conduct an onsite inspection. Early detection is the key to containing any potential infestation.

What is the Emerald Ash Borer?

In July 2002, a new exotic insect species was discovered in southeast Michigan .  The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a wood-boring beetle form Asia that feeds on ash trees.  Adult Beetles are metallic green and about ½” long.  They leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge in spring.  While the adult beetles nibble on ash foliage and normally cause little damage, the larvae (the immature stage) tunnel beneath the bark and feed in the cambium between the bark and wood.  These tunnels disrupt the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, eventually girdling and killing the tree.

Why should I be concerned?

EAB is of particular concern to the Village of Gurnee because according to the Village’s ongoing street tree inventory, fully 1/3 of our 10,263 parkway trees are ash trees, leaving the fate of more than 3,400 trees to hang in the balance.  The destruction of our ash trees will not only impact the environmental health and visual appeal of the community, but also has the potential of costing the Village tens of thousands of dollars in removal and replacement if infestation occurs.

What is the Village doing?

The Village of Gurnee has been working with the State of Illinois and the Morton Arboretum since 2004 to identify areas of potential infestation, set “trap trees”, and conduct follow-up scouting for EAB within our community.  Last summer, an infestation of these little green bugs was found in Winnetka , a mere 24 miles from our Village.  What this insect lacks in natural mobility (only about a ½ mile per year) it makes up by hitchhiking in ash firewood.  Since being discovered in Detroit in 2002, this green menace has infested more than 13,000 square miles in Michigan and has popped up in Indiana , Ohio , Maryland , and right here in Illinois .

What can I do to help?

The small size of this insect, as well as the sheer number of ash trees in town on both public and private property, will make it difficult to detect so we are asking for your help.  Please don’t move ash firewood into the Village from outside sources.  Be vigilant if you think you may have found EAB.  Call the Village Forester at 847-599-6800 to conduct an onsite inspection and follow the links below for more helpful information.  Early detection is the key to containing any potential infestation.

www.emeraldashborer.info