OHIO DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
FACT SHEET

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2003
Media Contact: Melanie Wilt, ODA Communications, 614-752-9817 

FACT SHEET: Emerald Ash Borer in Ohio 

What the Insect Looks Like

The Emerald Ash Borer belongs to a group of insects known as metallic wood-boring beetles. Adults are dark metallic green in color, 1/2 inch in length and 1/16 inch wide, and are present only from mid May until late July. Larvae are creamy white in color. 

Symptoms of Emerald Ash Borer Infestation

Affected trees show symptoms of infestation – die-back on the upper third of the tree, D-shaped exit holes in the bark where adults emerge, vertical splits in the bark, and distinct serpentine-shaped tunnels beneath the bark in the cambium, where larvae effectively cut off food and water to the tree, starving it to death. The borer is known to affect white, black, and green ash trees and some varieties of horticultural ash. Some healthy, non-stressed trees can fight off the pest, but Emerald Ash Borer infestations are fatal in most cases. 

State Regulations Prevent Spread of Invasive Species

State regulations are in place to control and prevent the spread of a number of invasive species and plant diseases to protect the health of Ohio’s plants and prevent massive economic losses to the nursery, timber, and tourism industries and the communities they serve. 

The state is authorized by Ohio Revised Code Section 927.71 to issue a quarantine on the movement of all ash trees and timber in a given area. This action can be taken for the state of Ohio and certain counties, townships, and areas will be identified as regulated zones.  

The Emerald Ash Borer has been known to exist in North America (Michigan and Ontario) for about the last five years, where it has killed millions of ash trees. It was found in Ohio for the first time in February near Whitehouse in Lucas County. No new signs of Emerald Ash Borer have been identified since more than 8,000 ash trees were cut, chipped, and destroyed to eradicate the pest from the area.  

Environmental Stakes

There are about 3.8 billion ash trees growing in Ohio, according to a 1991 forest survey. While ash trees are found in every Ohio county, most are found in the elm/ash/red maple forest that covers more than 850,000 acres in northern Ohio. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)

Before any eradication procedure can take place, the USDA must conduct an environmental assessment to determine the effect of cutting and removing trees on native species. 

Economic Impact

Ash wood is used for all traditional applications of hardwood from flooring and cabinets to baseball bats.

The nursery and horticulture industries, and the wood, paper, and furniture manufacturing industries contribute a combined $12.6 billion to the state’s economy. (Source: Dr. Tom Sporleder, OSU, 1999 OHFoods Model)  

A viable portion of the market for ash in Ohio is centered around the tool handle market. Ohio has two major tool handle plants: Ames/True Temper (Dexter City, Noble County) and Crook Miller Co. (Hicksville, Defiance County). The Crook Miller Co. gets approximately 25 percent of its ash from Ohio.  

Ohio has approximately 2.1 billion board feet (the usable lumber within a log) of standing ash timber (between 11 and 29 inches in diameter) that is worth almost $1 billion at the sawmill. (USDA Forest Service)  

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More information on the Emerald Ash Borer, pictures of the pest and its destruction are available at: 

Ohio Department of Agriculture
www.state.oh.us/agr

USDA Forest Service Emerald Ash Borer home page
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/eab/

Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Tree Index http://ohiodnr.com/forestry/Education/ohiotrees/treesindex.htm

Michigan Department of Agriculture
www.michigan.gov/mda, search for “Emerald Ash Borer”

Anderson’s Ohio Revised Code
http://onlinedocs.andersonpublishing.com/revisedcode/ , search for Section 927.71