NEWS RELEASE
NATURE CONSERVANCY OF CANADA
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As people look forward to the Canada Day long weekend, having s’mores, kicking back enjoying summer and campfire season, a nature conservation group is advising people not to bring along any hitchhikers.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is referring to emerald ash borer, a highly destructive beetle that kills trees. This invasive pest is spread when people transport firewood. There are six native ash trees in Canada, and earlier this year, black ash trees were assessed as at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).
Emerald ash borer has a devastating impact on forests and wildlife habitat. Ash trees have been frequently planted in cities and towns. The spread of this insect has devastated Canada’s forests, and trees along our waterways, in natural areas and green spaces. It also delivers a major economic hit to communities that have to manage the pest and remove dying trees and restore areas.
That economic impact extends commercially as ash trees are commonly used to make furniture, flooring, baskets, snowshoes, baseball bats, hockey sticks, electric guitars and tool handles.
“One piece of firewood that contains this pest can kill millions of trees. If you bring firewood from home, you may unintentionally or unknowingly be carrying hitchhikers to your destination,” said Andrew Holland, national director of media relations with NCC. “Enjoy your campfires, but buy your firewood close to where you are camping, burn it there and don’t bring it back home.”
Emerald ash borer is a non-native, invasive species, originally from Asia, and it is spreading rapidly and threatening forested areas throughout North America. It was found in Canada in 2002 along the Michigan/Windsor border and has done significant damage to ash trees in Ontario and Quebec.
In 2017, it was discovered in Winnipeg, and the invasive beetle was found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia last year. Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto have lost most of their ash trees. An estimated two billion ash trees have died in the North American Great Lakes Region. South of the border, it has invaded 36 states. Natural Resources Canada says 99 per cent of ash trees are killed within five to seven years of emerald ash borer getting into an area.
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough natural predators or diseases to help keep the pest at bay. In a new effort to contain the spread, the Canadian Forest Service is carrying out a biological control program. It has bred and raised parasitoid mite wasps in Ontario and is now releasing them in communities with infested trees.
The wasps attack the emerald ash borer eggs and larvae, but are not harmful to people or other organisms. The hope is that these wasps will knock back emerald ash borer populations.
Emerald ash borer is bright metallic green in colour and roughly eight to 14 millimetres long. Any sightings should be reported to the Canada Food Inspection Agency. People may also take a photo and upload it to iNaturalist.
About The Nature Conservancy of Canada
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation's leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important natural areas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares), coast to coast. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
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