Identifying the EAB

EAB adults are 3/8 to ¾ inch long and very narrow (about 1/5” wide). The head is blunt, the body tapers noticeably at the end of the abdomen. The wing covers are emerald green; the top of the abdomen, visible when the wings are spread, is metallic purple-red.

Newly emerged adults are most active when it is warm and sunny. They feed for several days before mating, chewing irregular notches along leaf margins. Mated females will feed for another week or two before laying eggs in bark crevices or under bark flaps on the trunk. One female will lay between 60 and 90 eggs.

EAB adults are not strong fliers, typically staying within 0.5 mile of their emergence site. The natural dispersal of this insect is assumed to be 5 miles or less per year. Long distance spread is the result of inadvertent spread by humans in infested firewood and unprocessed ash logs.

This brochure provides an easy-to-follow checklist to help recognize ash trees, EAB infestation symptoms, and emergence holes.

There are a lot of green insects around that can be confused with the emerald ash borer. The picture below (courtesy of the Missouri Dept Agriculture) shows an EAB along with several look-alikes. The line-up includes (top row L-R): EAB, a bark gnawing beetle (family Trogossitidae), Buprestis rufipes, green June beetle, and the caterpillar hunter. (bottom row L-R) Japanese beetle, a green tiger beetle, green stinkbug, dogbane beetle, and a metallic bee. The picture shows relative sizes and shapes of these insects.

The publication Emerald Ash Borer Frequently Asked Questions for Kentuckians provides information on the EAB in Kentucky.

Ky EAB Quarantine

State officials have issued a quarantine for 20 Kentucky counties regulating the transportation outside those counties of articles that could harbor the emerald ash borer. The quarantine prohibits “regulated articles” from being moved outside a quarantined area without a certificate or limited permit except under certain conditions. A regulated article may be moved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for experimental or scientific purposes; may be moved in an enclosed vehicle or completely covered to prevent access by the emerald ash borer (through Sept. 30); may be moved directly through the quarantined area without stopping except for traffic conditions and refueling; may be moved if it is stored, packed or handled at locations that do not pose a risk of infestation; and may be moved if it has not been combined or commingled with other articles.

“Regulated articles” are defined as the emerald ash borer, hardwood firewood, ash nursery stock, green ash lumber, other ash material, and any other materials that present a threat of artificial spread of the emerald ash borer.

The counties under quarantine are Boone, Bourbon, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Greenup, Harrison, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton, Oldham, Owen, Pendleton, Scott, Shelby, Trimble and Woodford. The quarantined area includes the seven counties where the emerald ash borer has been identified – Campbell, Fayette, Franklin, Jefferson, Jessamine, Kenton and Shelby – plus counties close to an infestation site and counties with a high density of ash trees.

Follow this link to the complete June 24 news release that announced the quarantine.

EAB can be spread by moving infested firewood. Here is a Don't Move Firewood poster to use as a reminder.

Quick Ash Facts for Kentucky

According to the Ky Division of Forestry, there are 130.9 million stems of white ash and 92.5 million stems of green ash in the Commonwealth. This USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis map (above) shows the distribution of ash stems by county (darkest color = highest to lightest = lowest) based on a 2006 Forest Inventory and Analysis. Elliot county is not listed.

This USDA Forest Service list shows the numbers of ash stems by county with ranking

The Forest Invertory and Analysis Factsheet for Kentucky 2004 states that the elm-ash-cottonwood component is 6% of the Commonwealth's 11.7 million forested acres. This type has been defined as the lowland forests where American elm (Ulmus americana), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides) or silver maple (Acer saccharinum) comprise singly, or in any combination, the largest component of stocking. It occupies a large but irregular area on the floodplains and bottomlands of the north central United States. (Shifley and Brown 1978).

Ash component of Boone, Campbell, and Kenton counties is estimated at 14.5% of more than 56 million trees. White ash (F. americana) is the predominant species followed by green ash, and blue ash (F. quadrangulata). (Ky Div Forestry 2007)

Based on a 2005 Lexington street tree survey, ash species comprised almost 11% of about 51,000 street trees. It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 ash trees in the Urban Service Area. (LFUCG 2007)

The ash component of Louisville's tree population is 17%. About 5% of the trees in the Waterfront Development are ash. (Louisville City Arborist and Management of Waterfront Development.

Movement of infested firewood is a major means of spreading the emerald ash borer. Quarantines have been established in states with confirmed infestations to stop the spread of the insect through infested wood products. Buy local firewood.

• Indiana
• Ohio
• Illinois
• Michigan

USDA Forest Service EAB site