Beetle threatens state’s ash trees

Call it a “David and Goliath” battle in Pennsylvania’s forests. Only this time, David is a diminutive beetle from Asia, and Goliath is the 80-foot ash tree.

The emerald ash borer, a half-inch-long beetle that has killed approximately 50 million ash trees in the Midwest, was detected in western Pennsylvania in June. The finding has led to a quarantine on firewood in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties. Although the infestation is more than 300 miles from Luzerne County, forestry experts say it’s only a matter of time before the destructive beetle spreads throughout the state.

“This thing is running amok and spreading very quickly. They found it in Detroit in 2002 and it’s already in Pennsylvania,” said Vinnie Cotrone, an urban forester with the Penn State Extension Office in West Pittston.

Cotrone just returned from a visit to Butler County to inspect the area where the emerald ash borer has been found. He saw the beetle and the dying ash trees, of which there are 300 million in the state, and issued a grim prediction for the rest of the state.

“Right now, it’s going to move across the state. It’s just a matter of time,” Cotrone said.

The reason the prognosis for Pennsylvania’s ash trees is so bleak is because there are no known native diseases or predators to control the beetle, according to Cotrone. Forestry officials are working to find a cure, but until one is found, the only defense is education.

Mature emerald ash borers can fly one-half mile, so they are capable of spreading pretty quickly on their own, Cotrone said.

However, officials surmise the infestation found in Butler County has been there for a couple of years, and the insect was introduced to the state by someone bringing in infested ash firewood.

“Moving firewood – that’s how it’s being spread around,” Cotrone said. “We’re just trying to slow the spread and right now education is the only way.”

Approximately 4 percent of Luzerne County’s forests is made up of ash, Cotrone said, with Bradford County having the highest number, 10 percent. The hardwood tree, which is usually found in stream corridors, is primarily used for furniture and baseball bats.

Lumber rush

Carl Balliet, owner of a logging and lumber business in Slocum, said ash lumber has a white color with a pronounced grain. He comes across ash occasionally when doing a timber harvest and said many people are cutting their ash trees for timber value before they are infested by the beetle.

The resulting rush to harvest ash could have a financial impact on the timber market, he said.

“The price will probably drop as the tree is harvested. Right now the value is close to red oak,” Balliet said.

According to the latest Pennsylvania Woodlands Timber Market Report, the price of red oak has dropped to 32 cents per board foot, while ash prices have risen to 18 cents per board foot.

Balliet said he cut five ash trees last week and has yet to see any evidence that the emerald ash borer has arrived in Luzerne County.

“From what I’ve been hearing, it’s pretty much unstoppable,” Balliet said.

WASPS MAY HOLD KEY

Dr. Shahla Werner, a forest entomologist with the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said officials are considering using three parasitic wasps as a biological control agent. The wasps – one eats the emerald ash borer eggs and the other two feed on larvae – were found in China, where the beetle is native.

Werner said officials want to make sure the wasps will feed exclusively on the emerald ash borer and not harm any native insect populations. Even if it is deemed feasible, Werner said the wasps won’t be ready for use this year.

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Insect detected in western Pennsylvania in June is expected to quickly spread.

Lumber rush

WASPS MAY HOLD KEY

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