There’s a tree killer among us and there’s no way of stopping it, Oregon Public Broadcasting reports.
An invasive green beetle called the emerald ash borer arrived in the Midwest from Asia, and it’s killed over 100 million ash trees across the country since it was discovered in 2002.
Now it’s killing ash trees in Oregon in Washington, Marion, Yamhill and Clackamas counties, and the trees have no defenses against this invader.
“They’re basically sitting ducks,” said Wyatt Williams, an invasive species specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry. “There’s nothing that can stop emerald ash borer from coming through. We can only slow it down.”
But there are ways that homeowners and gardeners can help slow the spread of this invasive pest.
- Don’t move firewood more than 10 miles.
- One way everyone can help is by checking ash trees for signs of beetle damage such as D-shaped holes in the bark or dead branches at the top of the tree that aren’t producing leaves.
- This state map allows people to enter their address to learn what they should be doing now to prepare for the emerald ash borer.
- Report infested trees to the state on this website.
You can help slow the spread of the emerald ash borer