Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Hamilton

[Richard in Smithville]

Not good news guys. I don't know where it's been through the US but it's caused a swath of destruction from the Windsor/Detroit slowly across Southern Ontario. If you're not familiar with it, here is the wiki page. Well, the little bugger has been found about 20 minutes up the road. Here is the government news story.

EMERALD ASH BORER CONFIRMED IN HAMILTON, ONTARIO
OTTAWA, February 27, 2009 – The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in the City of Hamilton, Ontario. The infested trees are located in the Upper Wentworth Street and Concession Street area.

The CFIA will be carrying out increased surveying of trees in the area to determine the extent of the infestation and affected property owners will be notified. Regulatory measures to control the spread of this pest will be based on information obtained through the surveys.

The EAB is a destructive beetle that has already killed a large number of ash trees in Ontario and north eastern U.S., and poses a major economic threat to urban and forested areas of North America. Although there have been numerous finds of this pest in Ontario and one location in Quebec, the CFIA continues to work with its partners and stakeholders towards the goal of slowing its spread.

The emerald ash borer does not spread quickly on its own. The key challenge in limiting the spread of this beetle is to get people to stop moving infested wood materials - such as logs, branches, nursery stock, and chips - to non-infested locations. Area residents can play a key part in helping to control the spread of EAB by avoiding actions that would promote its infestation.

We all have a responsibility to protect Canada’s forests

[JeffG78]

That is scary. We lost nearly every ash tree in SE Michigan. Hopefully they find something that can stop them.

[BobSch]

Something else to add to the list is firewood. They've been warning campers around here to leave their firewood at home and buy it when they get to the campground. It's often the simple things that cause the most trouble.

[Lee4847]

Almost every camp ground will not let you bring firewood into their park. They usually have firewood for sale at the park. At first I thought it was so they could make more. But after doing the research last year, I can see the need for the restriction.

Lee

[JeffG78]

Yeah, but in Michigan, life is very different. Many, many people from SE Michigan own cottages "up North" where they go on the weekends. There aren't campgrounds where somebody is watching what's going on. We do have large billboards everywhere warning against transporting firewood, but I'm sure there are still people who ignore the firewood transportation ban. If people aren't careful, these bugs will wind up all over North America and the ash trees will be a thing of the past.

[LinuxRandal]

From the wiki:

"Some signs that the emerald ash borer has infested a tree are D–shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from the base of the tree."


So now I have to watch out for Ash holes?

In the last couple of years, we have been having some sort of pine infestation. My only tree is going bye-bye this year.

[BobSch]

Many, many people from SE Michigan own cottages "up North" where they go on the weekends. There aren't campgrounds where somebody is watching what's going on. We do have large billboards everywhere warning against transporting firewood, but I'm sure there are still people who ignore the firewood transportation ban.

We have the same problem here with Water Milfoil—a weed that's choking more of our lakes every year. It gets transported from lake to lake by people not cleaning off and draining their boats and trailers after retrieving their boats. I've seen inconsiderate a-holes pull their boat out of the water with weeds dripping from the frame, get in their pickup and drive off RIGHT UNDER A SIGN TELLING THEM TO CLEAN IT OFF AND WHY!

DNR ought to pull their boat license on the spot, right after making them eat a salad made of of what's found on their trailer.

[430752]

With so many borers, diseases and other ailments to natural trees, thank god for the Jersey Sequoia. Yep, those painted brown cell phone towers with the fake plastic "leafs". Indestructable other than to rust I suppose. Now the question is what kind of saw blade for them?