Ash trees under attack by the emerald ash borer bugs

The bugs are coming, and they’re coming for the ash tree.

Because of a beetle called the emerald ash borer, forests like those in Mill Creek Park could eventually see the death of the ash. A horticulturist at the park says that amounts to 15 to 18 percent of Mill Creek’s trees, which could host the borer’s larvae under the bark until the bugs choke the tree.

Besides decimating ash trees in parks, the beetle will likely change the face of back yards and forests, impacting the ecosystem and diminishing the kaleidoscope of Ohio’s autumn colors.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture placed survey traps across the country this spring to track the spread of the emerald ash borer. The survey aims to measure how fast and how far the beetles have spread; the traps are not meant to remove the pest.

Trumbull and Columbiana counties are sites for the traps, while Mahoning, Portage and 39 other Ohio counties are under ash wood quarantines to slow the growing infestation.

For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.