WASHINGTON — Several hundred million ash trees around the nation have fallen victim to a beetle known as the emerald ash borer. Thousands of doomed trees once stood tall in the D.C. area, according to bug guy Mike Raupp, an entomologist at the University of Maryland.
“This is a devastating pest,” said Raupp.
Local governments are fighting back against what Raupp says is a tsunami of the beetles, which chew their way into the tree and feed on what’s underneath the bark.
Among the prevention techniques: injecting uninfected trees with a chemical which can keep the insect away for several years.
A newer weapon is also being used in the fight — a tiny, parasitic wasp which takes aim at the emerald ash borer’s eggs and larvae, effectively stopping future generations of the tree-killing insect.
“We think these are probably our Obi-Wan Kenobis in terms of reducing those emerald ash borer populations in places along the C&O Canal and places in the natural forest where there are simply too many trees to be removed or chemically protected,” Raupp said.
Raupp says initial releases of the wasps are showing promising results. The wasps are establishing themselves, moving around and dealing a blow to the emerald ash borer population.
For trees which meet their demise because of the beetle, local governments have no choice but to cut them down.
“These pose an enormous risk of falling and injuring people and property,” Raupp said.
Homeowners should realize the D.C. area is generally infested by the emerald ash borer and should take steps to protect ash trees on their property. Raupp recommends hiring an arborist to chemically treat the tree, so the bugs are kept at bay.
“If you’ve protected your ash tree — hey, you’re going to have that ash tree for another hundred years to give those wonderful ecosystem services that ash trees provide,” Raupp said.
