Invasive bug that can kill Texas trees spreads deeper into state
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - An invasive bug that can destroy certain types of trees in Texas has spread to new parts of the state.
What we know:
According to the Texas A&M Forest Service, the emerald ash borer has been confirmed in Delta, Erath, Hardin, Walker and Wood counties. That brings the total number of new counties in Texas this year to eight.
What they're saying:
"As the current southernmost boundary for this insect in the U.S., Hardin County signals a clear message: where ash trees extend south, this pest has been able to follow," said Demian Gomez, Texas A&M Forest Service regional forest health coordinator.
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What is the emerald ash borer?
Dig deeper:
According to the forest service, the emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle that bores into ash wood and is responsible for the death of hundreds of millions of ash trees across North America.
Adult beetles are metallic green and about an inch long. They leave behind a distinctive D-shaped hole after leaving a tree where they have been feeding. The larvae usually feed beneath the bark of a tree and leave behind S-shaped trails.
The beetle’s feeding disrupts the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients.
It was first detected in Texas in 2016 and has continued to expand its range.
Confirmed cases documented by Texas A&M Forest Service. (Texas A&M AgriLife / FOX Local)
How does the emerald ash borer spread?
What you can do:
The forest service said that it can spread naturally, but human movement of infested firewood, logs and other ash wood products speed up the expansion.
Texans are encouraged to buy firewood where it will be burned and avoid transporting untreated wood long distances.
The Source: Information in this story came from Texas A&M Forest Service.