Ash borer found east of Hudson River for first time

Emerald ash borers, the invasive beetles that have destroyed tens of millions of ash trees over the past decade, have been discovered east of the Hudson River for the first time, George Walsh of The Associated Press reports. However, discovery of the beetle in Dutchess County, New York, could mean a victory in the battle to stop the beetle's spread into New England, Walsh reports. Foresters believe the colony was found less than a year after it was established, suggesting there is time to stem the eastward spread.

Beetle larvae tunnel under ash trees' bark, slowly killing the them. Walsh reports entire stands of trees have been "ravaged" in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast since the Chinese beetle was first discovered in Detroit in 2002. The main population of borers has spread at about two to three miles a year, but "satellite colonies leapfrog ahead, mostly by hitchhiking in loads of logs or firewood," Walsh reports.

Forester Jeff Rider said plans are being made to quarantine moving ash-tree material in Dutchess County, limited to particular towns. He said the infestation likely involved borers crossing the river last summer. Meanwhile, foresters in the rest of New England are preparing for an infestation. "They're gearing up, knowing they're eventually going to have it," Rider said. "We're just trying to buy them some time." (Read more)