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Emerald Ash Borer in Bridgton

The Maine Forest Service has announced an emergency order to restrict movement of ash tree products and hardwood firewood from areas in Cumberland and Oxford Counties. The order is in place to help slow the spread of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) within Maine.

Moving ash infested with EAB can spread this invasive insect to new areas, and an estimated 90% of Maine’s ash trees are currently outside of these regulated areas.

Ash is an important cultural resource for the Wabanaki and a valuable timber species. EAB threatens all ash species. The spread of EAB will have significant cultural, ecological, and economic impacts throughout the state.

Questions about the order can be directed to foresthealth@maine.gov or by telephone 207-287-2431.

The EAB is small, bright green and bullet-shaped, and is typically seen flying in the ash canopy and rarely found on the ground. They nibble on the leaves but do little to harm the tree in the adult form.

 

The EAB larva is creamy white and between 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long, with narrow bell-shaped segments which can be found year-round in the cambium layer (under the bark). They are the real destructors in this story, as the cambium layer in the tree is where the tree transports water and nutrients, and the EAB larva disrupt the flow and eventually begin to destroy the tree. D-shaped exit holes can be found in the ash bark where larva emerge as adults in the spring. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larva, and a sign of infestation can be lots of woodpecker activity. Check out emeraldashborer.info for more information on where it has spread and what it has done.

If you think you’ve found the EAB, please compare with the pictures below before contacting the state to report it. You can report a sighting here.

 

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