Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Emerald ash borer is also established in Windsor, Ontario, was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004, northern Illinois and Maryland in 2006, western Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2007, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia in summer 2008, Minnesota, New York, Kentucky in the spring of 2009, Iowa in spring of 2010, and Tennessee in the summer of 2010.
What to know about EAB:
- It attacks only ash trees.
- Adult beetles are metallic green and about 1/2-inch long.
- Adults leave a D-shaped exit hole in the bark when they emerge in spring.
- Woodpeckers like EAB larvae; heavy woodpecker damage on ash trees may be a sign of infestation.
- Firewood cannot be moved in many areas of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin because of the EAB quarantine.
- It probably came from Asia in wood packing material.
Where is it:
Go to
this website for regional and state maps of EAB confirmed sightings.
Also, the Illinois Department of Agriculture has established
THIS PAGE for information on EAB within the state.