A destructive insect from Asia that attacks and kills Ash trees is showing up in more places around Delaware.
The Delaware Dept. of Agriculture (DDA), says the Emerald Ash Borer has recently been found at new sites in the First State.
“We’ve found the Emerald Ash Borer at two additional sites in Delaware, one in Middletown, which is in New Castle County. The other was found in Seaford, in Sussex County. Both sites were found within the past few months,” said Kesha Braunskill, an urban coordinator with the Delaware Forest Service.
She says the Emerald Ash Borer can do real damage.
“Emerald Ash Borer does kill all Ash trees that it comes in contact with and feeds on,” Braunskill said.
Braunskill says because the weather is getting colder, the Emerald Ash Borer is currently over-wintering in Ash trees, so it’s not actively feeding on them. But come spring, the larvae will feed just on the underside of the bark, working its way through the vascular system of the tree and eventually killing it.
She says if you have ash trees on your property, they should be treated immediately or removed by Spring to control the spread of the invasive insect.
Braunskill says the Emerald Ash Borer has now been found in ALL three Delaware counties. It was first discovered in Kent County in 2016.
For the latest information from Delaware’s Department of Agriculture, residents can go to a state website for an EAB Fact Sheet and an Ash Treatment Decision Guide.