Beetle Barely

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), a relatively recent invader here in the U.S., has attracted a lot of attention. Now it even has its very own insecticide: BotaniGard. Produced by the Michigan-based Emerald BioAgriculture Corp, BotaniGard contains the fungus Beauveria bassiana. This fungus has been shown to be quite successful at killing adult beetles when sprayed on tree trunks prior to beetle emergence. You can read all about the discovery of the fungus and the history of the company that produces BotaniGard in this article from The Detroit News.

Thanks to the Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers website for posting a link to the article.