Emerald Ash Borer Info

If you have watched TV, listened to a radio, or read a newspaper in the past month then you will be familiar with the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This is the latest invasive pest to come into Illinois and threaten our tree population. First found in Michigan a few years ago, this insect has no natural predators and has been eating its way across the Midwest, being found in Illinois earlier this summer. Current locations where its presence has been verified include Kane County, Evanston and Wilmette along the lake shore. The Department of Public Works has received numerous calls about the Ash Borer, and has investigated many insects residents thought might be the EAB. The Emerald Ash Borer is rather distinctive in appearance, the adult stage looking very much like a small, green grasshopper more than a beetle or June bug. Communities and tree lovers are very concerned about the possibility of the EAB gaining a foothold here as over 20% of the trees in the Chicago area are Ash trees. This insect could wreak as much or more damage on neighborhood trees as the Dutch Elm Disease did in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Below are photos showing the Emerald Ash Borer in both its larval and adult phases. If you believe you have found an Emerald Ash Borer, please contact Public Works at 847-746-4050. For more information, you can go to the Morton Arboretum’s website at this link.