Official Pest Report
Official Pest Reports are provided by National Plant Protection Organizations within the NAPPO region. These Pest Reports are intended to comply with the International Plant Protection Convention's Standard on Pest Reporting, endorsed by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures in March 2002.
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Pennsylvania - United States
Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Pennsylvania - United States
Country: United States
Title: Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) in Pennsylvania - United States
Contact:
Deborah McPartlan, EAB National Program Manager, (301) 734-5356
Report:
On June 26, 2007, APHIS confirmed the detection of emerald ash borer (EAB), in the Cranberry Township of Butler County, Pennsylvania. This detection was made by APHIS personnel conducting visual inspections for ash decline along the Pennsylvania/Ohio border following the confirmed detection of EAB on the Ohio side of the border. APHIS officials observed and investigated ash tree decline in the parking lot of a commercial establishment and captured two suspect specimens that have been confirmed to be EAB.
In response to this latest detection, APHIS will cooperate with the State of Pennsylvania to carry out delimiting surveys around the affected area. Furthermore, an investigation will be conducted to determine the origin or nursery source of the affected trees and evaluate the immediate area for other possible pathways through which EAB may have been introduced. APHIS will provide education and outreach materials to Pennsylvania State Parks to raise awareness about the pest and the risks associated with the movement of firewood.
EAB is present in some parts of the United States. Currently, the entire States of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois are quarantined for EAB, together with the lower peninsula of Michigan and Prince George’s County in Maryland. EAB is an invasive wood boring beetle that is native to China and eastern Asia. EAB probably arrived in North America hidden in wood packing materials commonly used to ship consumer and other goods. It was first detected in the United States in southeastern Michigan. Since then, EAB has been responsible for the death and decline of more that 25 million ash trees in the United States. The interstate movement of firewood from quarantined areas is an especially high risk pathway for spreading EAB, and APHIS is working with State cooperators and foresters to raise public awareness about this threat.
Under IPPC standards, the emerald ash borer is considered to be a pest that is present, only in some areas and subject to official control in the United States.
Posted Date: July 12, 2007, 9 a.m.