Georgia Invasive Species Task Force

Emerald Ash Borer

James K. Johnson, Coordinator, Georgia Forestry Commission, Forest Health Accomplishment Report 2004

Terry Price began a survey for the Emerald Ash Borer this year, and a letter and an EAB fact sheet were sent to 69 ash wood producers asking for their cooperation in looking for signs of the EAB in the logs they purchase. Three of these locations were trapped using Lindgren Funnell Traps baited with Ethanol and fresh twigs of green ash. Each location was trapped for 6 weeks, but no suspects were caught. Thirty-three of the wood producers use sawn ash and do not produce sawn lumber from logs. Phone contacts or personal visits were made with 20 of the remaining 36 companies and we have learned that ash is a very small component of their inventory. Ash accounts for about 2-5% of the wood they process. A couple of these produce about 10,000 bd. ft. of ash per year, but most of the producers do not sort the ash from the other hardwoods when sawing. EAB flyers were left with each wood using producer visited, and training given to the employees on recognizing the damage to look for on their logs.

A survey of nursery stock was also begun - primarily through Home Depot stores. Thirty-one stores in Georgia were surveyed and 2 Lowe's stores were surveyed. Some stores had no Ash and others only had a few - all healthy.

Future survey efforts will look at wholesale suppliers of nursery material in the metropolitan regions who might import ash trees from outside of Georgia. Many major nurseries in Georgia belong to the Georgia Nuserymen's Association and this group is broken into regions. Many of these have regular regional meetings and this would be a targeted group to speak about the threat EAB poses - especially if they import Ash from other areas of the country.