Is Sevier County Next?

Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in Blount County

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture has discovered the Emerald Ash Borer in Blount County. The find was made last week and has been confirmed by USDA.

“We will continue surveying the region to determine the extent of the infestation,” said Gray Haun, TDA Plant Certification Administrator. “We will be working closely with federal officials and other stakeholders to take steps to limit its spread and protect our forest resources and urban landscapes.”

EAB attacks only ash trees. It is believed to have been introduced into the Detroit, Mich. area 15 to 20 years ago on wood packing material from Asia. Since then, the destructive insect has been found also in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

In response to the find, TDA is adding Blount County to the Emerald Ash Borer quarantine. Knox and Loudon counties were put under EAB quarantine in August, 2010. The quarantine prohibits the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber and other material that can spread EAB. With the new discovery, citizens can expect expanded surveys and should report any symptomatic trees to TDA.

“People located in surrounding areas to the quarantine can expect next year to see more purple traps as these are an important part of the surveying process,” said Haun. “The traps are coated with an adhesive that captures insects when they land. The color is thought to be attractive to EAB, and is relatively easy for humans to spot among the foliage."

Typically, the Emerald Ash Borer beetles can kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth inch wide, and fly only from April until September, depending on the climate of the area. In Tennessee, most EAB adults would fly in May and June. Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees. When they emerge as adults, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry estimates that five million urban ash trees in Tennessee are potentially at risk from EAB. The risk represents an estimated value loss of $2 billion. There are an estimated 261 million ash trees on Tennessee public and private timberland potentially valued as high as $9 billion.

TDA officials urge area residents and visitors to help prevent the spread of EAB:

Don’t transport firewood, even within Tennessee. Don’t bring firewood along for camping trips. Buy the wood you need from a local source. Don’t bring wood home with you.

Don’t buy or move firewood from outside the state. If someone comes to your door selling firewood, ask them about the source, and don’t buy wood from outside the state.

Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees. If you suspect your ash tree could be infested with EAB, visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/regulatory/eab.html for a symptoms checklist and report form or call TDA’s Regulatory Services Division at 1-800-628-2631.

For more information about other programs and services of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture visit www.tn.gov/agriculture.