Emerald Ash Borer Discovered in New Hampshire
Researchers at the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Solutions Initiative are closely watching the movement of an invasive beetle known as the emerald ash borer (EAB). The beetle has recently been discovered in New Hampshire’s ash trees and now poses a serious threat to Maine. According to the USDA Forest Service, EAB was introduced into North America sometime in the 1990’s, and was first reported killing ash (Fraxinus) trees in the Detroit and Windsor, Michigan areas, in 2002. The adult EABs feed on the leaves of ash species, causing minor damage. They then lay eggs in the bark of these trees. When their larvae hatch, they burrow into the trees feeding on the inner bark, and eventually killing the tree.