Apr 5, 2006 8:02 pm US/Central
Dangerous Beetle Threatens Minnesota's Ash Trees
by Amelia Santaniello
(WCCO)
Foresters in Minnesota are bracing for what could be one of the worst threats in decades to trees.
Nearly 20 percent Minneapolis boulevards are lined with Ash trees. The state's Capitol grounds are also home to the popular plant.
If a dangerous beetle called the Emerald Ash Borer comes to Minnesota, it could be devastating to the state's Ash tree population.
Val Cervenka, an entomologist with the Department of Agriculture said, "It just eats every Ash tree it encounters."
Ralph Sievert, the Director of Forestry for the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board said, "It's pretty much a death sentence for Ash trees. Right now there is no cure for it."
The exotic beetle is hard to spot. It's about the size of a dime and green colored.
Cervenka said some signs of a sick tree are a lot of sprouts at the base of the tree or if the tree begins to yellow.
The marks left behind by the beetle are distinctive. It leaves a D-shaped spot, it's flat on the top and the abdomen is rounded.
But it isn't the beetle itself that's the problem. Most of the damage is done by the larvae.
Cervenka said "The larvae actually chews the inside of the wood and it goes back and fourth as it feeds."
The Emerald Ash Borer was first spotted in 2002, in Michigan. Experts think the bug was brought in on wood planks, like the kind used for shipping products.
To help stop the spread of the beetle, experts recommend using local firewood. They also said if residents do use firewood from other states, to burn it and not leave it sitting around.
Minneapolis is taking the threat seriously. City officials are no longer planting Ash trees.
Residents who think they have a sick tree should call the Minnesota Department of Agriculture at 651-201-6684.
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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