Emerald Ash Borer

[waynek]

This week I had a chance to walk through my wood lot to inventory downed trees and it struck me that there was a distinct possiblity that my ash species could be wiped out in the future. In July 2008, foresters confirmed the presence of the EAB in southeastern WI, so it is lurking nearby.

Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Longhorn Beetle, Gypsy Moth, etc. makes me mad as hell. Is the United States sending critters over to Europe or Asian countries that attack their trees or is this invasive species condition a one way street?

Jackpine

 

[Jeff S]

I with you about being upset with these emerald ash borers,they are just one of the "benefits" of dealing with China.40 - 50% of my woods is Green Ash and they are all ready infected with these critters.

 

[JerseyWreckDiver]

When I first moved out into the woods I had a serious problem with ticks on my property. My dog could not walk out the door without coming back with 3 ticks on him. Not being the type to spray toxic chemicals all over my property or feed them to my dog or douse him with them, I started thinking and decided to enlist an army of the ticks natural arch enemies. I went out and bought a fifty pound bag of wild bird food, several feeders that were installed all around my property and on a daily basis I would scatter bird seed all over the ground. Couple days later I come home, get out of my truck and start walking toward the house and there are literally more then a hundred birds feeding on the ground and in the trees, bushes & shrubs. While they were down there grabing seed I'm sure ticks also became part of there meals because within a short period of time, very few ticks. Then the wild turkeys started coming around and feeding on the property almost daily, I also encouraged this as much as possible. No more ticks that whole summer & fall.

A little research can go a long way. Specific feed attract specific birds. Blue Jays love sunflower seeds & insects. Suet cakes attract woodpeckers who will destroy your EAB population for you. Leave a few standing dead trees for them also. In addition, start hanging the right size/shape bird houses in the right places/positions and they will take up residence and reproduce on your lot...

Amazingly, you may also want to encourage certain bee/wasp/hornet populations around your property. I remember sitting in my garden one day watching a pair of hornets, flying like they were in formation patrolling the garden plants, after a few minutes they took down a large flying beetle, devoured some of it right there and flew off to the nest with the rest! Another time I split open a log and out pour the termites by the hundreds. I threw it off to the side, when I looked later while taking a break, the hornets from a nearby nest were coming in droves, devouring a few termites while they were there and flying off with a few more held in there legs. This went on, back and fourth for over an hour. Look up the right web sites, you can actually buy starter colonies of or lures to attract/house many predatory insects that will work very hard for you.

 

[ansehnlich1]

I cut some ash well over a year ago, been burnin' it this winter, and I've seen crawlin' around on the splits the emerald ash borer.

Yep, split ash, seasoned, stacked, still with the borer ALIVE in it.

Pizzes me off too.

I just got a 5 cord load of mostly chestnut oak, all killed by gypsy moth.....lumber man said he has 1.2 million feet to haul out.....

 

[brokeburner]

What does the gypsy moth feed on whats the info on em. 1.2 million feet of dead wood or what

 

[brokeburner]

What does the gypsy moth feed on whats the info on em. 1.2 million feet of dead wood or what.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gypsy moth feeds on the leaves.

So far no known killer of the emerald ash borer. Where they came from the trees over time have adapted some to them and it doesn't kill all, or so I have read.

It is a nice theory with the birds getting all the nasty bugs but it just doesn't hold up to reality as plenty of those bugs just do not taste that well to the birds. Around here we let nature takes its course as much as possible, but we are losing a big tree lot and there apparently is nothing we can do to stop it. Various states and cities have came up with ideas but when it all boils down, almost 100% of them agree that you just are not going to stop these emerald ash borers. So, you probably will not have a difficult time telling what type of wood we will be burning for the next several years.

 

[LLigetfa]

Gypsy moth feeds on the leaves...

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's the caterpillar that feeds on the leaves before it morphs into a moth. Once it becomes a moth, it is preoccupied with sex and egg laying.

 

[DaveBP]

Is the United States sending critters over to Europe or Asian countries that attack their trees or is this invasive species condition a one way street?

Jackpine

Ironically, China requires pallets used to ship goods in from the states be heat treated (oven baked ) or poison treated to kill anything that may be lurking in the wood. They don't want to take a chance on catching any of our bugs.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Gypsy moth feeds on the leaves...

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's the caterpillar that feeds on the leaves before it morphs into a moth. Once it becomes a moth, it is preoccupied with sex and egg laying.

Feeds and then preocupied with sex? I know of several people who fit that description, but they usually don't kill my trees.

 

[waynek]

Is the United States sending critters over to Europe or Asian countries that attack their trees or is this invasive species condition a one way street?

Jackpine

Ironically, China requires pallets used to ship goods in from the states be heat treated (oven baked ) or poison treated to kill anything that may be lurking in the wood. They don't want to take a chance on catching any of our bugs.

Isn't this just great...is this all part of free trade?

 

[ansehnlich1]

What does the gypsy moth feed on whats the info on em. 1.2 million feet of dead wood or what

Yep, this guy has a sawmill 1 mile from my house, he and his brothers have been in the mill/firewood business for at least 50 years, probably longer.

1.2 million feet dead wood in northern Maryland.

They cut and haul to a paper mill in Spring Grove, Pa. They drop firewood to me for same price they charge the mill. It's about 5 cord log length, $350.

He dropped it friday evening, I'm done bucking it, took me about 9 hours to saw it all up and clean up the mess, I'm ready to split it now.

Not bad for a 49 yr. old guy eh?