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If you treat a tree with pesticides which will kill the larvae some EAB will lay its eggs on that tree and many or all of them will eventually die from the pesticide. If you cut down the tree the bug just flies on a little further until it finds another ash tree and lays its eggs there. Then most of those will hatch and become adults. What have we accomplished? We have destroyed a healthy tree, we have caused the bug to fly further, and we have pretty much assured the eggs will have a nice safe place to grow into an adult.
Some people will say that if you cut down enough ash trees, like a six mile wide fire break or something, that the bug can't fly that far. But, that is not what the MDA is doing. They are destroying all of the ash trees within 200 yards of where the EAB was last found. You've got to be kidding! Their own experts tell us that the bug can move a half a mile. In fact, the "Determination of Ash Host Plant Nuisance and Public Notice of Proposed Eradication Measures, results of Public Hearing" says ". .notice of this decision that removal of all ash host material within a half mile from the last known EAB positive ash tree in sites scheduled for an eradication action is necessary to control the spread of the emerald ash borer. . ." So, why aren't they following there own determination?
You'll have to ask the MDA about that. We have never been able to get an answer to that, no matter how many times we ask. We do know that they have been cutting ½ mile areas in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. Some of us think that this is because they don't have as many property owners to deal with as they would if they tried to cut a half mile area down here in southeast Michigan. Right now they are taking on the public a few at a time, divide and conquer. The 200 yard cut covers about one twentieth the area as a half mile cut. We don't think that they want to see what would happen if they tried a half mile cut.
Bob Williams (Bob@SaveYourAsh.info)
