A beetle known to destroy millions of trees across North America has been spotted here in North Texas. The Emerald Ash Borer landed in the state years ago and has since made its way to Dallas-Fort Worth. Entomologists are closely monitoring the infestation, hoping to slow its spread.
It is considered a state-regulated pest. It is so harmful that state officials quarantine and regulate the transportation of ash tree products to prevent the beetle from eating ash trees in rural and urban areas.
Allen Smith is an entomologist and regional forest health coordinator for Texas A&M Forestry Services. He said the bug could be harmful to our outdoor space.
“They destroy the living tissue layer beneath the bark,” Smith said. “And that’s the layer where the tree’s water and nutrients flow up and down.”
According to the US Department of Agriculture, the emerald ash borer has killed about 15 million trees in North America.
“It basically starves the tree,” Smith said.
There have been positive confirmations for EAB in several north Texas counties, including Dallas, Denton and Tarrant. A memorandum from the city of Dallas said the bug was found near Dowdy Ferry and off I-20. City officials are evaluating the site and will continue to work with the Texas A&M Forestry Service.
The EAB can kill trees within two to three years. Smith said an infestation also has economic consequences.
“It’s like a hurricane that destroys all the trees,” he said. “Well someone’s gotta pay to clean this up. And if that happens all at once, it’s very expensive.”
Smith said that by quarantining ash products and setting up traps, cities could spread the cost of damage over several years and try to conserve valuable green space.
For more information on EAB, visit https://tfsweb.tamu.edu/eab/
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