Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:00 am

What is that strange blue triangular box hanging from our trees?
Effective February 8, 2011, the entire Beaver Island Archipelago along with Isle Royale, the Manitous, and Charity Island were included in an Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine which prohibits the movement of firewood to these areas. This initiative may make these few remote Great Lakes islands the last refuge for Ash trees. Emerald Ash Borerâ??s flying range is 6 miles maximum, so firewood transportation will be the highest source of transmission to our archipelago. Violators can face jail time and fines from $1000.00 to $250,000. The Michigan Department of Agriculture is sending a team on June 21 to install EAB traps. We are asking the publicâ??s assistance to not tamper with the traps.
Traps will be placed on ash trees only and needs to have a branch that is no higher than 20 feet off the ground where a trap can be hung. The trap needs to hang â??freeâ??. Ideally, it would be hung in a manner where it is not touching the trunk or wonâ??t swing out in the breeze and contact the trunk or other branches). The trap should be hung high enough so that it cannot be tampered with (bottom of trap at least 10â?? off the ground), it would be preferred that traps be spread across the island.) Areas have been identified and we hope to achieve the goal of setting 10 â?? 12. August 15th â?? Sept. 9 is scheduled for trap inspection and removal. Quarantine signage has been posted in Charlevoix, Beaver Island, and around marinas in Wisconsin and Michigan. If you have any further questions, please donâ??t hesitate to contact me or John Bedford, MDA Pest Manager.

AEW · Post by **AEW** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 7:36 am

Hi Pam, you should see if the Dept of Agriculture could send over the traps and have CMU or someone here install them. Sure could save a lot of tax money.

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Tue Jun 07, 2011 8:19 am

Sounds like a good idea in the future, Adam. The two individuals are here for 1 day, from Traverse City, riding the boat (no trucks-donated vehicle) and this could be part of a bigger monitoring/inventory initiative so they wanted to look first hand. We're hopeful to have more cooperation with the MDA for future projects. CMU's assistance with Island projects is developing under their new leadership and we are still hopeful that they will agree to put a trap on their property. With the recent cuts from the DNR to the archipelago's Phragmites program, we need to provide for ourselves most definitely and use funding wisely.

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 7:03 am

A question was asked as to whether the traps would be placed only on state property. The traps will be placed on state, township, county right of ways and private property. Naturally, private property owners will need to approve placement and individuals have been very receptive to assisting.

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:14 am

Yes, those purple triangular boxes scattered around the island are to attract an Emerald Ash borer-MDA entomologists will be back the end of August to remove them.

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:29 pm

No, the purple EAB traps found along our roadways, will not be up during hunting season to be used for target practice.

The Michigan Department of Ag will send out personnel to remove the 16 traps on August 25-26. Stay tuned for the inventory results! The Beaver Island Boat Company has done a tremendous job on their web site educating the public. Thanks for your interest in preserving our Ash trees.

Pam Grassmick · Post by **Pam Grassmick** » Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:09 pm

We received this word today from the MDA regarding our Emerald Ash Borer Survey results.

2011 Beaver Island EAB Panel Trapping Survey Results
From:
"Bedford, John (MDA)" <bedfordj@michigan.gov>
View Contact
To: "mcgrass@ameritech.net" <mcgrass@ameritech.net>; "dewert@tnc.org" <dewert@tnc.org>; "Preisser, Matt (DEQ)" <PREISSERM@michigan.gov>
Cc: "uzars1dg@cmich.edu" <uzars1dg@cmich.edu>; "Tangora; Susan (DNR)" <TANGORAS@michigan.gov>; "Hill; John P (MDA)" <HillJ1@michigan.gov>; "Winkler; Jane A (MDA)" <winklerj@michigan.gov>; "Rosenbaum... more

2011 Beaver Island EAB Panel Trap Survey Results MAP 8 31 11.pdf (64KB)
Pam, Dave and Matt,

Last week PPPMD inspector Jane Winkler removed and inspected the 15 EAB baited panel traps she installed on Beaver Island earlier this summer.
She submitted suspect adult samples from three of those traps for verification. Yesterday, Mike Philip, PPPMDâ??s entomologist, was able to confirm that none of the submitted samples were in fact EAB. The specimens were of an insect very closely related to EAB, Bronze Birch Borer (BBB). Both EAB and BBB are metallic wood-boring beetles in the genus Agrilus. BBB is native insect that is well established in Michigan and infests almost exclusively trees in the genus Betula (birch).

I have attached a map showing the 15 negative trap locations.

You are welcome to share this information.

As I am sure you are aware, the fact that EAB was not detected by any of traps does not mean that it may not be present on the island. It will be critical to continue to monitor and investigate those ash trees that may begin to show the early symptoms of infestation.

I remain available to help support your efforts to protect the ash on Beaver Island from EAB. Please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Please contact me if you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Thank you.

Regards,
John M. Bedford
Pest Response Program Manager

Michigan Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Pesticide and Plant Pest Management Division

525 W. Allegan
Lansing, MI 48933