Background: The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an exotic wood-boring beetle discovered in southeast Michigan in the summer of 2002. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is believed to have arrived in Michigan on wood packing materials from Asia 6-10 years ago.
The beetle, which only attacks ash trees, is capable of killing trees of all sizes, including trees that appear to be healthy; the beetle has killed more than 10 million trees in southeast Michigan to date.
Also see information on replanting efforts in Ann Arbor: www.a2gov.org/trees
Quarantine: In order to help prevent and control the spread of the EAB, the Michigan Department of Agricultural has quarantined 22 counties in southeast Michigan including Washtenaw County. The quarantine prohibits the movement of ash trees, ash tree products, EAB and any species of firewood outside of the quarantined counties.
The infestation has now spread throughout Ann Arbor. Currently, no trees in Ann Arbor have survived once infested by this insect.
After several years of concerted ash tree removal, by 2005 the City of Ann Arbor had over 10,000 ash and dead trees in the City’s rights-of-way and parks. An unsuccessful EAB millage ballot initiative was offered in November 2005 to fund ash and dead tree removal.
For more information on EAB:
Return to Forestry & Parks Operations Main Page; Go to www.a2gov.org/trees for replanting information. Return to City of Ann Arbor main Web page.