Emerald Ash Borer Bracebridge June 21 st 2016 Allison Winmill MScF, RPF Forest Health Specialist
Overview BioForest The threat of invasive/alien pests and disease Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) BioForest and EAB Current status in Ontario What can we do?
BioForest Keeping forests healthy since 1996 Commercial & urban forest pest management and surveys Tree care product development & distribution - 2008-16 -TreeAzin - EcoJect System - Rotstop C -Arbotect 20-S
BioForest Office Locations Principal Office - Sault Ste. Marie, ON Regional Office Locations: Toronto, ON Montréal, QC Fordland, MO Petersham, MA Espoo, Finland
Who am I? Joined the BioForest team in 2014 MScF & HBScF Lakehead U Registered Professional Forester Local, National, International
Invasive/Alien Pests Current major pest = EAB Not the first time the forest has been threatened Chestnut Blight Dutch Elm Disease Gypsy Moth Urban and commercial Many more: aquatic and terrestrial
The Emerald Ash Borer Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources Forestry Archive Bugwood.org Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Anthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Coleoptra Family: Buprestidae Genus: Agrilus Species: Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire
EAB Adult beetle is dark metallic green Bullet shaped about 8.5 mm long by 1.6mm wide Flat head with black eyes Strong fliers Eggs laid in the bark of the trunk Larvae bore into sapwood Adults emerge and live in canopy Oneida county land and water conservation
Type of Insect Wood boring Flow of nutrients through vascular tissue to roots
Native to Asia: northern China, eastern Russia, Japan, and Korea Wide range of habitat as long as there are ash trees 34 th Parallel to 52 nd Top of Georgia to Saskatoon
First discovered in 2002 in Detroit and Windsor
Green Ash (F. pennsylvanica) White Ash (F. americana) Black Ash (F. nigra) Ash - Fraxinus
Ash Fraxinus spp. Wright outdoor solutions University of Guelph Compound Leaves Opposite Branching Seeds Not Manitoba Maple! http://www.newtonsapple.org.uk/ OMAFRA
Sign: physical damage to tree resulting from EAB attack S-shaped larval gallery D-shaped beetle exit hole Feeding notch in the leaf Signs
Symptoms Symptom: trees response to being attached by EAB Dead branches Bark cracks Heavy seeding Canopy thinning Premature yellowing of foliage Woodpecker damage Epicormic shoots
Signs and Symptoms 1-2 years after infestation little symptoms are present 3 years dieback and epicormic sprouts End of 4 th year normally tree dies 5 years limbs become brittle and drop
Why is EAB such a threat? Street tree monoculture of ash after Chestnut blight and DED Hardy tree = increasingly bigger problem the further north you go Native ash trees are defenceless Spray? Symptoms take a few years to show
Why is EAB such a threat? Ash trees of all sizes are susceptible to attack, from 5 cm DBH (diameter at breast height) to 90 cm DBH or greater. Larvae have been found in branches as small as 1.1 cm in diameter. The numbers: Chestnut Blight = mortality count of ~3.5 billion chestnut trees DED = 200 million elms EAB threatens 7.5 billion ash trees in the United States Mortality rate so far: ~50 million
Why is EAB such a threat? Female lays 100 eggs in her 2 month life 56% of eggs on average are female Typically each year the population multiplies by a factor of 50 By year 9 of an infestation, the population originating from 1 female = 1 trillion insects
What do we know about EAB Management in 2016?
What can we do? Number of tools to facilitate forest management strategies: Variety of tools can be used for early detection and rapid response An up-to-date inventory Treatment Removal based on age and health Biodiversity
Prism traps Visual surveys Raising awareness Branch sampling Ash condition surveys Mortality plots Early Detection
Trapping and Monitoring Number of established traps Location Not just a tool for early detection Mapping to delineate population Used to monitor population dynamics Pinpoint where you are on the infestation curve Mortality plots + prism traps
EAB Outbreak Cycle
EAB Outbreak Cycle
EAB Outbreak Cycle
BioForest and EAB Product Science and research in North America EAB monitoring and management
TreeAzin
Systemic Insecticide - TreeAzin Botanical insecticide trees helping trees! Provides up to 2 years protection against EAB In one year of treatment: 95% EAB larvae feeding on treated tree tissues do not complete development and die Adult female EAB beetles that feed on treated tree leaves lay significantly fewer eggs Eggs laid are not viable (<1% viable)
TreeAzin As per science and peer-reviewed research: Proven efficacy No adverse impact to aquatic or terrestrial decomposers of leaf tissue Translocates quickly (24-48 hours) Less tree wounding Complete dissipation of foliar residues prior to leaf fall. Not a neonicotinoid
Emerald Ash Borer
TreeAzin Registered with Health Canada s Pest Management Regulatory Agency AND U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute for use in organic crops Ontario MOE listed as class 4 pesticide meaning it is the least hazardous that is commercial
Toledo, Ohio June 2006 Toledo, Ohio June 2009
Science and Research
BioForest and the Town of Oakville EAB program Forest Health Monitoring Program
Prism traps Branch sampling EAB Ash tree condition surveys Mortality Plots
EAB in Oakville
Mortality Plots: Set the Clock DeaLiv d e
EAB Outbreak Cycle
Forest Health Monitoring Program Includes 3 complimentary initiatives: 1. Pest Detection Surveys 2. Forest Health Monitoring Plots 3. Volunteer Network
Pest Detection Surveys
Forest Health Monitoring Plots
Forest Health Volunteer Network More eyes on the ground for early detection of invasives!
The Spread EAB population is well established in Oakville..what about other places?
Muskoka Confirmed in Barrie, summer 2014 Muskoka is getting ready. First prism trap hung July 20 th 2015 in Bracebridge!...24 more to be hung in 2016!!
Muskoka Transportation of infested firewood What can we do? Early detection and rapid response Raise awareness (firewood!!) spread the word Know your trees Monitor for presence > green prism traps
Muskoka Muskoka Conservancy BioForest http://www.emeraldashborer.info/ http://www.bioforest.ca/serviceproviders/
Thank you!! Allison Winmill awinmill@bioforest.ca