Emamectin benzoate approved for use against Emerald Ash Borer in Illinois

Press Release from the Illinos Department of Agriculture
April 22, 2008

NEW TOOL APPROVED IN FIGHT AGAINST DEADLY BEETLE

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinoisans will now have an effective alternative to tree removal in their arsenal against the Emerald Ash Borer, a deadly wood-boring beetle that has plagued Illinois and North America long before its initial discovery in 2002.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture on April 15th, approved a special local need request for the use of Tree-ägeTM, an insecticide touted as the most effective chemical weapon against EAB. Nearing 100 percent effectiveness, the product, developed by Swiss agrochemicalcompany Syngenta and Massachusetts firm Arborjet, has an active ingredient called emamectin benzoate which is injected directly into the ash tree’s vascular system where EAB larvae feast. The direct injection affects only the beetle larvae and will not harm anything coming into contact with the tree such as butterflies, birds and squirrels.

After yearlong preliminary studies, Michigan and most recently, Indiana officials have approved the chemical. Based on results in Michigan, preliminary evidence suggests that a single treatment could provide up to two years of control. Ideally intended as a preventative treatment for healthy, non-EAB-infested trees,TreeägeTM is most suitable for trees in close proximity to EAB-infested areas.

“IDA encourages property owners to consult with a certified arborist or tree care company to discuss treatment pricing and other options suitable for their situation,” says Warren Goetsch, bureau chief of Environmental Programs. “Cost will be a factor for most homeowners. This tool will most likely be used by golf courses and other landscape areas where entire canopies will be devastated affecting local commerce.”

First discovered in Illinois in June 2006, EAB has since been confirmed in communities within Kane, Cook, LaSalle and DuPage counties. A quarantine has been issued for the northeastern-most area of the state in an attempt to prevent its spread. EAB quarantine provision compliance is urged for all contractors and public works officials around the state, and especially those within the EAB quarantined area in all or parts of the 18 northeastern-most counties of the state.

The quarantine prohibits the removal of the following items from regulated areas:
• The emerald ash borer in any living stage of development.
• Ash trees of any size.
• Ash limbs and branches.
• Any cut, non-coniferous firewood.
• Bark from ash trees and wood chips larger than one inch from ash trees.
• Ash logs and lumber with either the bark or the outer one-inch of sapwood, or both, attached.
• Any item made from or containing the wood of the ash tree that is capable of spreading the emerald ash borer.
• Any other article, product or means of conveyance determined by the Illinois Department of Agriculture to present a risk of spreading the beetle infestation.
• waste haulers must cover regulated material from an infested area during transport through EAB flight season, which is from June through August.

Anyone convicted of moving prohibited items from the quarantine area without prior certification by an Illinois Department of Agriculture nursery inspector may be fined up to $500.How the emerald ash borer arrived in Illinois is unknown, but the department suspects it
may have been transported here in contaminated firewood. To avoid the accidental introduction of the beetle to new areas, the department encourages Illinoisans to purchase only locally-grown
nursery stock and locally-cut firewood. Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to contact the department or their village forester for a consultation.

The emerald ash borer is difficult to detect, especially in newly-infested trees. Citizens should watch for metallic-green beetles about half the diameter of a penny on or near ash trees that are showing signs of disease or stress. Other signs of infestation in ash trees include D-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or branches and shoots growing from its base. Anyone who suspects a
tree has been infested is urged to contact their county Extension office. For more information, visit www.IllinoisEAB.com on the internet.