Holes

In response to the discovery of 16 trees with suspicious looking "exit wounds," officials in Fairfax County, Virginia are getting ready to remove almost 200 ash trees by this spring. As reported by the Washington Post, the reason behind the extreme reaction is the fear that the trees are infested with the dreaded emerald ash borer beetle (Agrilus planipennis). The trees in question were purchased from a nursery in southeast Michigan, an area which is now under quarantine because of the ash borer invasion. If beetles are found, this would be the first known occurence of that invasive species in the state of Virginia. You can review the history of the emerald ash borer in the U.S. through previous ISW posts.

Thanks to a member of the Yahoo! group ma-eppc for posting a link to the article.