In early September, several green ash trees at a location in Halifax Regional Municipality were found by city staff to be damaged by a non-familiar species of insect. After assessment by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) these insects were determined to be boring beetles with characteristics that do not match those of any of our native tree pest species. Several larval specimens were collected and sent for species identification. The results came back positive for emerald ash borer on September 19th. Emerald ash borer is a highly invasive beetle that is originally native to Asia. International trade is thought to be the main vector through which the emerald ash borer was introduced to North America. After being detected in Windsor Ontario in 2002, the beetle has moved steadily into surrounding regions. In 2008 the pest was discovered in Quebec, and by the spring of 2018, emerald ash borer was detected in Edmundston New Brunswick. The beetle only infects ash trees and typically kills off 99% of the ash population in an infested area within six years of its introduction. The beetle is thought to have killed tens of millions of ash trees in North America already. It is estimated that the insect will have caused 2 billion dollars worth of damage to Canadian municipal properties by the 30th anniversary of its detection in the country. What is largely unknown, however, are the ecological impacts of having ash trees removed from Canada’s forest ecosystems. The loss of ash from a region is thought to be especially hard on local birds, aquatic species like frogs, and plants that grow on the forest floor.
Mi’kmawey Forestry’s Black Ash Recovery Project has been working with the CFIA to place emerald ash borer monitoring traps on various band properties throughout mainland Nova Scotia during the summer of 2019. These traps will help the CFIA to monitor the beetle’s spread in Nova Scotia and will allow the Mi’kmawey Forestry team to determine priority areas in the province for tree inventory, seed collection, and any treatment activities that might take place now that this pest is present.
For more information on the emerald ash borer, visit:
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/fire-insects-disturbances/top-insects/13377