Emerald Ash Borer and Wasps planted by USDA

[JWR]

[FONT=&quot]Of all places to find out, I just read the current issue of TIME. On pp. 10 of the Aug. 17/24 issue I found a tiny note saying that the USDA released parasitoid wasps starting in 2007 and as of 2018 these kinds of wasps have been released in 26 states to combat the invasive emerald ash borer.

The USDA maps show states from Illinois and Mich all the way to the East Coast infected with the ash borer.
On my farm in north central WV the ash borer has killed every single ash tree on the farm. That means fences down, limbs in meadows that you can't mow hay until you remove debris, etc.
Anyone know about these wasps the USDA released to combat the borers? If it is like other disasters put out by the USDA, the cure may well be worse than the disease. I hope not.

Has this affected you? Links to info ? [/FONT]
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[Mat4644]

Related but off subject. Since you have many ash trees you can relate. I have lost 100s of ash trees. Everyone of the large ones with many over 30 inches. Now the floor of the woods gets sunlight and saplings are growing everywhere. Many ash saplings are springing up and some are a few years old now. Are you cutting these out to let other trees survive? Some think the emerald ash borer has moved on and these will continue to grow. Personally I don't see how.

 

[MossRoad]

They'll grow until the ash borers find them. Then they'll die. Eventually, there might not be enough ash trees that reach maturity to keep up with the insect, or, it could be that there won't be enough ash trees to feed the insect, or, there will be some balance, or, some ash trees may be resistant to the borer as ash trees in asia are, etc... that's a lot of "or's".

 

[Jstpssng]

The borer has just been found in this state in the last couple of years, and they have released the wasps here. Only time will tell what the long term effect of either insect will be. I'm currently having all ash with sawlogs cut but leaving the smaller trees. There is evidence that a few trees will be somewhat resistant or resilient, so we don't want to inadvertently wipe out that gene pool. Also brown ash seems more susceptible than white ash.

 

[registeredla]

I can speak all to well of the affects of Emerald Ash Borer. As a grower of nursery stock in Northern Illinois, I had to eat over 10,000 ash trees when Illinois became quarantined. We could not sell them or ship them but had to financially absorb it. There is no relief for nurseries like there is in normal agricultural production. You just need to grin and bear it, something that we still have not fully recovered from.

In terms of the wasps being used and released, they all come from China. They are very small, some as small as a gnat and supposedly were observed for a long period of time, before being imported and released. Not sure what the end result will be or what other invasive issues might arise if ash borer declines and the wasps need to look for other hosts.

I was told a story from the inspector from the department of agriculture who services my nursery. Poland and other places in Europe took a different approach than we do here when ash borer or other invasive pests arise. They continued planting ash to keep the pest contained until they could find a way to control or eradicate it. Here we quarantine an area and as it spreads we walk away once the problem becomes to large to control. Allowing the pest or disease to further spread until it travels through the entire U.S., one state at a time.

 

[dodge man]

We have Japanese beetles, Asian beetles, multi flora rose, honeysuckle, Russian Olive and zebra muscles in this area. Just what we need, another potential invasive species.

 

[kenmbz]

We also have the Lantern Flies everywhere. killing roses and some trees, grape vines an who knows what else.
So many Ashes have died and some I had to pay to remove.
Global economy is killing me.

 

[Jstpssng]

On my family's 30 acre homestead we have Norway Maple, Japanese knotweed, Multiflora rose, autumn olive, bittersweet, black locust, honeysuckle, and one other which I can't remember right now. The first two were planted back in the 1950's before we knew any better; the rest are "volunteers" from somebody else's property.

 

[JWR]

We have Japanese beetles, Asian beetles, multi flora rose, honeysuckle, Russian Olive and zebra muscles in this area. Just what we need, another potential invasive species.

Yes, and many of those were foisted off on farmers by guess who --- the USDA. Add to the list the Autumn Olive which has ravaged almost every farm in West Virginia. Impossible to control. Russian Olive is similar to Autumn Olive but is more common in the West. Will absolutely take the place and you will never stop it. The only "safe" spots are in open fields you mow regularly and even then it will impinge on the borders and take more and more of your land. It will literally grow 4ft in a single season.

Reading so far says that the wasps that attack the ash borer and borer eggs do not sting and and are harmless according to several AG websites. We will see.

 

[MossRoad]

There's something like over 100,000 different species of wasps. That's a lot.
Wasp - Wikipedia