Informative Essay On Ash Trees
In Detroit, Michigan of 2002 many ash trees in the hardwood forests of Michigan and in urban areas were unexpectedly dying prematurely and researchers began investigating the problem. As they investigated trees, they found tunnels throughout the inside of the tree. The problem turned out to be an insect no longer than 12 millimeters known as the emerald ash borer. Many 10s of millions of dollars have been spent and more than 200 million trees have died or have been sacrificed in efforts to eradicate this pest. My goal here is to fully inform you of the emerald ash borer and discuss everything else to consider about the problem of their infestation.
The Ash trees The normal life span of an ash tree can range anywhere from 120-260 years depending …show more content…
This egg can be white in color to a light mahogany and anywhere in between. This borer will have up to 90 siblings it will need to compete and/or mate with for the rest of its life to survive. Adults lay their eggs in late May to early July and will continue to mate and forage on ash leaves for the remainder of its life causing minimal damage to ash leaf foliage (Poland and McCullough 2006). After about two weeks, the eggs will hatch under the right conditions and the larvae take their first steps (or wiggles) on Earth. The larvae immediately begin chewing their way into the inside of the tree where they feed off the tree until winter. If a clutch of eggs were laid later in the season, they will overwinter as larva and require an additional year to complete this developmental stage (Poland and McCullough 2006). During the winter months, the emerald ash borer chew a gap in the wood around it large enough for it to begin the first stage of pupation. The borer will lie dormant here until next year of mid-May where it will emerge and continue the destructive cycle (Poland and McCullough 2006). There are native borers in the United States as well but why are they not a problem? Our native borers target only stressed and dying trees. Emerald ash borers will target ash trees as young as 10 years old and since 2002 has devastated ash tree populations (McCullough 2013).
The emerald ash borer is not evil. It does not realize that its way
The Ash trees The normal life span of an ash tree can range anywhere from 120-260 years depending …show more content…
This egg can be white in color to a light mahogany and anywhere in between. This borer will have up to 90 siblings it will need to compete and/or mate with for the rest of its life to survive. Adults lay their eggs in late May to early July and will continue to mate and forage on ash leaves for the remainder of its life causing minimal damage to ash leaf foliage (Poland and McCullough 2006). After about two weeks, the eggs will hatch under the right conditions and the larvae take their first steps (or wiggles) on Earth. The larvae immediately begin chewing their way into the inside of the tree where they feed off the tree until winter. If a clutch of eggs were laid later in the season, they will overwinter as larva and require an additional year to complete this developmental stage (Poland and McCullough 2006). During the winter months, the emerald ash borer chew a gap in the wood around it large enough for it to begin the first stage of pupation. The borer will lie dormant here until next year of mid-May where it will emerge and continue the destructive cycle (Poland and McCullough 2006). There are native borers in the United States as well but why are they not a problem? Our native borers target only stressed and dying trees. Emerald ash borers will target ash trees as young as 10 years old and since 2002 has devastated ash tree populations (McCullough 2013).
The emerald ash borer is not evil. It does not realize that its way