By Jeff Patrus
Staff Writer
The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a relatively new phenomenon to Brandon Township, but its impact could be harmful if not contained.
On its EAB hotline, the Michigan Department of Agriculture announced it was aware of the infestation of the insect in several Michigan counties, including Oakland County, and was not taking any more reports about the insect from those areas.
James McRay, EAB communications specialist for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, said the department is just beginning to find how serious of a problem the insect is in Brandon.
‘What we’re doing is inspecting the ash trees,? he said. ‘We’re going to work our way out, start with Genesee County and work our way to Oakland County. As soon as we get a good assessment of the infestation, we’ll make some determination about what our best containment and eradication strategies might be. Brandon Township, I would say, is on the outskirts of the known infested core area, so it’s probably not a real heavily infested township.?
According to the department’s Web site, the insect was discovered in Michigan in May 2002, but was likely introduced into the state at least five years previously from Asia, its native origin.
The EAB kills ash trees by destroying the trees? water and nutrient conducting vessels. It is so aggressive that ash trees may die within two-three years after they become infested with the beetle. If not contained, the potential epidemic resulting from the EAB could rival Dutch Elm Disease, the site stated.
The Website further states areas which become infested could lose billions of dollars in forest products, and since ash trees have been planted extensively in urban and suburban landscape areas, their removal and replanting costs can be staggering.
If the EAB is detected in a locality, one of the first decisions that a tree owner must make is whether to save ash trees from the EAB or allow it to kill their trees. The decision to save an ash must be made promptly when the EAB is detected, because ash may decline from healthy to beyond salvage in just a few months.
Details: Visit the Internet at www.michigan.gov/mda or call the state Department of Agriculture’s EAB hotline at (866) 325-0023.