In the summer of 2012 it reached the Kansas City metropolitan area. There are seven billion ash trees in North America, and within the next few decades, the beetle could kill most of them—a die-off ten times bigger than the one caused by Dutch elm disease. read more
In big cities, where ash species account for up to a quarter of trees in public spaces, planners must consider the environmental consequences of the massive die-off—liability hazards, an increase in stormwater runoff, and the simple problem of disposing of millions of dead trees. read more
Ash borers infect trees by burrowing in through the bark, and laying their eggs inside the wood. The insects and their larvae feed on the vascular material inside the trunk that moves water and carbohydrates to/from the leaves and roots. read more
They not only can directly cause tree death but will actually spread harmful disease fungi from a host tree to surrounding trees. Insects can attack a tree's cambial layer by boring for food and for nesting cavities or they can defoliate a tree to the point of death. Bad insects include pine beetles, the gypsy moth, and emerald ash borers. read more