Emerald Ash Borer Survey and Outreach in Kentucky

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is indigenous to Asia and is known to occur in China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Russian Far East and Taiwan. Where it has been found in the United States, it has killed white ash (Fraxinus americana), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), and black ash (F. nigra), as well as several horticultural varieties of ash. The insect kills ash trees by destroying the tree's water and nutrient conducting vessels. EAB is so aggressive that ash trees typically die within two to three years after they become infested with the beetle. Ash trees are a major component of the landscape in Kentucky, so this pest is of particular concern both because of the prevalence of ash trees in urban and suburban areas and because lumber and wood products are among Kentucky's top export products. Kentucky could lose billions of dollars in forest products, and quarantines imposed by state and federal agencies could severely affect plant and wood products industries.