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How to See an Emerald Ash Borer

The Emerald Ash Borer was thought to be introduced from Asia in the 1990s. By the time the Emerald Ash Borer was first reported in 2002, much damage had already taken place. The Emerald Ash Borer kills ash trees within a few years.

Instructions

- 1
  Identify ash trees. Ash tree leaves have smooth edges and are opposite from each other on the stems. The leaves are pinnately compound with leaves arranged like the veins of a feather and there is more than one leaf on a stem. Ash tree bark is gray and has grooves running the length of it.
- 2
  Research for information about the specifics of the Emerald Ash Borer. Search the Internet for Emerald Ash Borers or visit a library to find a book. Call your local agriculture department for more information regarding this pest.
- 3
  Notice ash trees with unusual sprouting at the base of the tree. It could indicate the presence the Emerald Ash Borer.
- 4
  The emerald ash borer is commonly confused with the bronze birch borer, two-lined chestnut borer and the Japanese beetle.
- 5
  Find d-shaped exit holes in the ash tree. The Emerald Ash Borers emerge from these holes as adults.
- 6
  Check for s-shaped markings under the bark of the ash tree. The Emerald Ash Borer larvae eat the inside of the tree and leave these tunnels.
- 7
  Watch for the Emerald Ash Borer larvae. The larva is a white and comes in three different sizes depending on the life cycle stage. It has ten segments, the last of which has a pair of pincer-like appendages. The length of the larva is about one inch.

Insects & Science