For Immediate Release:

October 9, 2015

Be on the lookout for the emerald ash borer beetle

Small green beetle attacks and kills ash trees

“The EAB is a small but very destructive beetle,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Serena DiMaso, liaison to the Division. “EAB beetles attack ash trees exclusively and residents who have ash trees on their property need to be aware of this potential threat. Residents with green or white ash trees should contact an arborist who is a New Jersey Certified Tree Expert or an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist to inspect your tree.”

The EAB beetle is native to China and eastern Asia and is metallic green in color with has a slender body. In May 2014, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture confirmed the first detection of EAB in Bridgewater in Somerset County, NJ.

“The County’s Shade Tree Division is working with the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and has set 4 traps to detect the presence of EAB beetles,” said DiMaso. “Last week, there was one EAB beetle found in Monmouth County, in Allentown. The County’s Shade Tree Division is working with the State Department of Agriculture to address the presence of the EAB and will continue to monitor for EAB and so should you.”

Homeowners who own ash trees can take the following steps to protect their trees:

• Do not move firewood off of your property. To prevent the spread of the beetle, do not move firewood as the EAB larvae can survive hidden under the bark of firewood.
• Visually inspect your trees. Early symptoms of an infestation might include dead branches near the top of a tree or wild, leafy shoots growing out from its lower trunk.
• Report any signs. If any signs of the EAB beetle are found, call the New Jersey Department of Agriculture at 609-406-6939.

For more information about the EAB beetle go to www.aphis.usda.gov or call Monmouth County Division of Shade Tree at 732-431-7903.

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