Ash borer-infected trees get axed in 2 townships
As research continues on the patterns of the emerald ash borer, local environmental organizations are cutting down damaged ash trees in two Ingham County townships. The destructive Asian beetle has infected trees in Meridian and Delhi Townships, and is believed to have infected six to 10 million trees in the heavily infested areas of southeast Michigan, forest and entomology Professor Deb McCullough said. McCullough is part of a research effort with scientists from The Ohio State University and Canada that studies habits of the ash borer, looking at development habits, dispersal and flight patterns, possible insecticides and methods of trapping and control. Much of McCullough's work was done in the Ann Arbor area during the last few months, because they're "really getting clobbered by ash borer this summer," she said. The ash borer's larvae kill the tree once getting under the bark. As of July 15, 13 southeast Michigan counties have been under a quarantine, making it illegal to transport ash materials, including firewood, out of the area, said Tim Flint, the Michigan Department of Agriculture emerald ash borer response coordinator. Ingham County is part of the quarantine, but only the eastern edge of the county falls within a core area considered to be the most heavily infested.
