Hitchhiking Bugs

as possible. Reducing firewood movement and thinking about other ways that pests might hitchhike into our forests will go a long way toward preventing the arrival of the next new pest.

Help Stop Invasive Bugs

• Do not bring firewood from other states. Use local sources.
• Examine vehicles and outdoor gear for gypsy moth egg masses after summer visits to Great Lakes states or the northeastern U.S. If you find egg masses, destroy them.
• Start replacing ash trees in urban landscapes with other tree species to avoid having to replace them all later at one time.
• Plant a diversity of trees and shrubs (no more than 10 percent of any one species).
• Use proper planting, mulching and pruning methods to improve plant health. See www.missouriconservation.org/forest/helpcare.htm.
• Do not use insecticides to prevent emerald ash borer attacks where borer populations have not been detected.
• If you find what you suspect is a non-native pest, contact your local Department of Conservation forester.
  

Is It Emerald Ash Borer?

QUESTION 1:

Is the tree an ash species?

• Emerald ash borers only attack ash trees.
• For help identifying ash trees visit online or you can purchase the Trees of Missouri Field Guide. The book includes easy-to-understand descriptions and color illustrations for 147 native and 27 non-native tree species found in Missouri. This item is available for $7.50 plus shipping and handling, and sales tax (where applicable). To order, call toll free 877/521-8632 or visit www.mdcnatureshop.com.

QUESTION 2:

Is the tree in poor health?

The following symptoms can be caused by native pests, emerald ash borers or other stresses:

• Branch dieback in upper crown
• Sparse leaves
• Splits in bark
• New sprouts on trunk or limbs

QUESTION 3:

Do you see any of the following?

• 1⁄2-inch-long, metallic-green, bullet-shaped beetles
• 1/8-inch-wide, D-shaped holes in bark
• Tapeworm-like larvae with bell-shaped segments under bark
• S-shaped larval tunnels under bark

It’s NOT Emerald Ash Borer if you see:

• Round or oval holes in bark
• Brown papery insect “skins” in bark holes (clearwing moths)
• Round holes in rows on bark (yellowbellied sapsucker)
• Larval tunnels deep into wood or not S-shaped

Check the links listed below to be sure.

Other Invasive Insects

Gypsy Moths

• Caterpillars feed on leaves of oaks and other woody plants and can kill trees during outbreaks.
• Velvety-brown egg masses (1 to 2 inches wide) can be deposited on vehicles, outdoor equipment, firewood and nursery stock in July and August.
• Species is spreading from Wisconsin, northern Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and northeastern U.S.

Asian longhorned Beetles

• Larval tunneling in trunk and branches kills maples, elms and other deciduous trees.
• Species can spread when firewood and logs are taken from infested areas.
• They have entered North America multiple times in international shipments.

Sirex Woodwasps

• Female injects a fungus and toxic mucus that kill pines while her offspring tunnel in the wood.
• The species can be spread by moving infested logs.
• They are present in New York, Pennsylvania and Ontario, but the extent of their range is unknown.