East Lansing residents and landscapers could soon kiss their ash goodbye.
An infestation of the emerald ash borer, an exotic insect which destroyed more than 6 million Detroit-area Ash trees, has recently been discovered infesting more than 50 Ash trees in Meridian Township.
In response to the close proximity of the beetle, a public meeting at Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbott Road, was held Tuesday night to inform a large crowd of concerned residents about the latest news on the ash borer and eradication methods.
Members of East Lansing's Emerald Ash Borer Task Force, formed a year ago after the pest's first sighting, answered questions about managing the insect.
Thousands of Ash trees grow on public and private property in East Lansing and 817 of those line streets, said David Smith, an environmental specialist for the city. In response to the Detroit-area infestation, no additional ash trees have been planted by the city. So far no East Lansing trees have been contaminated by the insect.
If East Lansing were infested, Smith estimates $400,000 would be needed for Ash tree removal and replanting on public property.
David Roberts, who first identified the beetle in Michigan, says he worries not enough is being done to eradicate the pests.
"My greatest concern is that we won't be able to contain it," said Roberts, an MSU Extension specialist.
The larvae of the green metallic insect destroy the water supply in Ash trees. When they feed in tunnels in the cambium, or the tissue between the bark and the wood, the tree eventually dies. Roberts said the beetle could have hitched a ride to the United States on wooden shipping materials from Asia.
Sitting quietly in the meeting, East Lansing resident Maggie Schuesler said she hoped to learn some of the best ways to save her landscape.
"I am worried about the 20-year-old Ash tree that I have in my backyard because I have heard that the only way to get rid of a bug infestation (in a tree) is to cut it down," Schuesler said.
Deb McCullough, an MSU forestry entomologist, spoke at the meeting about insecticides and other eradication options that can be used by people in the area who have Ash trees.
"I have researched several insecticides, which can be injected into the base of the tree," she said. "But the issue is that most of these insecticides kill the adult insects, not the larvae that cause the most damage."
"We won't be able to determine the best methods of killing the larvae until the fall when the larvae have finished their feeding."
Paul Swartz, an MSU landscape service coordinator and campus arborist, estimates it would cost $15,000 a year to treat all of the 350 Ash trees on campus.
"Because the treatments would be so costly, we will try to prioritize which trees we will be able to protect," Swartz said, "Our plan is to possibly treat the trees on the eastern perimeter of the campus in case the insects migrate."
Smith said the city has been planning its defense against the insects for more than year.
"We have worked on educating our crews in the parks department to become aware of and treat the boar beetle," Smith said.
Although East Lansing has not specifically set aside money for emerald ash borer eradication, a tree survey was conducted to asses the risk the insect poses the city, Smith said.
Smith advises homeowners who are concerned about the safety of their Ash trees to check for early signs of the insect, which include dying limbs, thinning bark and the yellowing of upper leaves.
"For the most part, you won't see the beetles, you will see the symptoms," Smith said.
Roberts believes cooperation from many will be the best way to combat the destructive beetles.
"We have to get all of the agencies to work together if we have any hope of eradicating the beetle," he said. "If we don't do anything, Michigan and the rest of the country can just give up to the insects."
For more information, call the Emerald Ash Borer Hotline at (866)325-0023.
