A quarantine for Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive insect that destroys ash trees, has been expanded to include five more Tennessee counties.
With EAB discovered in traps in Franklin, Marshall, Rutherford, Trousdale and Williamson counties, those areas are now under restriction for the movement of ash trees and ash tree products. EAB was confirmed in Cumberland and Bledsoe counties in June. Tennessee now has 46 counties under state and federal EAB quarantine.
EAB is a destructive forest pest that made its way from Asia to the United States in the 1990s. This pest was first detected in Tennessee in 2010. Typically, EAB can kill an ash tree within three years. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and USDA-APHIS are working together to identify infestation using purple box traps placed in ash trees across the state.
The EAB quarantine prohibits the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber and other material that can spread EAB. Citizens should report any symptomatic ash trees to the department of agriculture and follow these simple rules:
· Don’t transport firewood;
· Use firewood from local sources near where it will be burned;
· If you purchase firewood, make sure that is labeled and certified to be pest free; and
· Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees.
Visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/topic/ag-businesses-eab for a symptoms checklist and a map of quarantined counties.
TDA’s Division of Forestry estimates that there are 261 million ash trees on public and private timberland in Tennessee, potentially valued as high as $9 billion.
For more information about EAB and other destructive forest pests, as well as tips for infestation prevention, visit www.protecttnforests.org.