This destructive invasive bug was just found in trees at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden
The Fort Worth Botanic Garden’s ash tree population is recovering from an emerald ash borer scare, officials with the garden said Tuesday.
Emerald ash borers are an invasive insect species native to Asia.
According to the Arbor Day Foundation, the bugs bore into ash tree bark and feed underneath it, dehydrating the tree and interfering with its ability to transport nutrients.
The insects were found in the United States for the first time in 2002. They were first discovered in Texas in 2016 in Harrison County near Caddo Lake. They are in 24 Texas counties, including Tarrant, Dallas, Denton and Parker.
The bugs have killed millions of ash tress across the country, and all 16 species of the tree are susceptible to attack, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.
Officials with the Botanic Garden said the emerald ash borers posed a threat to 24 trees in the park.
“They’ve come in so fast and are spreading so quickly … and the treatment is both expensive and a little bit labor intensive, so we won’t be able to treat all of them,” said Bob Byers, the executive vice president of the Botanic Gardens.
Byers said experts treated the affected trees with injections of a pesticide solution made by Rainbow Ecosciences.
“They drill a hole in the base of the tree, and they insert this little needle, and a tree draws this medication up into its vascular system,” Byers said.
According to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the adult beetles are metallic green with copper abdomens and measure about a half-inch long.
Signs of an ash borer infestation include dead branches near the top of ash trees, increased woodpecker activity and vertical cracks in the bark.
If you suspect you have an emerald ash borer infestation, report it to the USDA or call 866-322-4512.
