October - December 2013
Emerald Ash Borer
Agrilus planipennis, is a non-native forest pest that is causing widespread mortality of ash trees in eastern and central North America. By the end of 2013, it had been detected in 22 US states stretching from Colorado to the East Coast and in Ontario and Quebec, Canada.
The first EAB population detected in Missouri was discovered in 2008 in Wayne County in the southeastern part of the state. Detection surveys have been conducted annually in Missouri since 2004, by visually examining trees at high-risk sites such as campgrounds (2004-2007), and later with EAB sticky traps after they became available in 2008.
In 2012, additional infested areas were detected in southeast Missouri (Madison and Reynolds Counties) and on the other side of the state near Kansas City (Platte County). In 2013, a total of 922 traps were monitored throughout the state by the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture (MDA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA APHIS PPQ). EAB was detected in five more counties: Butler, Bollinger and Perry in the southeast, Pulaski in south central Missouri, and Jackson in the Kansas City area (see map on page 2).
In response to the detected EAB distribution scattered from western to southeastern Missouri, the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture expanded the state EAB quarantine in September 2013 to include all Missouri counties.
USDA APHIS PPQ followed suit with a similar statewide federal EAB quarantine in November 2013. Both agencies have been working with forest product industries and other stakeholders since that time to educate about the impacts of the quarantine and the potential use of compliance agreements to move regulated items with specified protocols.
Outreach efforts by the Missouri Dept. of Conservation (MDC) and partners in the Missouri EAB Pro-gram continue around the state. Displays, presentations, news re-leases and other outreach activities occur at many workshops, fairs and other venues throughout the year.
MDC's Forestry Division staff works with communities and green industry groups to educate about EAB management strategies and the need for each community to start planning and implementing their response to the EAB threat. Missourians are encouraged to be alert for evidence of infestations and visit this web site to learn more and report suspect infestations: http://eab.missouri.edu
Biological control is one tool that may eventually be useful in managing EAB populations. Three species of non-stinging parasitic wasps (Oobius agrili, Testrastichus planipennisi, and Spathius agrili) that are natural enemies of EAB in Asia were approved in 2007 for re-lease in North America. Prior to re-lease they were tested for host (EAB) specificity and potential non-target impacts. As of 2013, these parasitoids have been released in 16 of the 22 infested states. The EAB biological control program in Missouri is man-aged by the Missouri Dept. of Agriculture. All three species of parasitoids were released in 2012 and 2013 at the site of the first detected EAB population in Wayne County. Establishment of parasitoids at that site will be evaluated starting in 2014. Known EAB populations in other Missouri locations will be monitored with sticky traps to determine additional locations where parasitoid releases could be considered. Further details about EAB biological control are available at: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/biocontrol.cfm