"EAB wuz here, '99 was the year"

Back in 2004, the ISW reported that the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) had been discovered for the first time in the state of Indiana. Now the Indianapolis Star is reporting that a recently discovered infestation in the town of Carmel could be as much as seven years old. State officials think the EAB may have been introduced back in 1999, when landscapers received a shipment of ash trees from Michigan and planted them in the town. This means that the beetle is likely to have had several years' worth of a head start vs. Indiana's efforts to control its introduction and spread. Not good news for the state's ash trees.

Thanks to Bob C. for sending in a link to Indiana's EAB press release.