I will miss the ash trees....

[AJMD429]

Our area is now one of the ones where the ash trees are all dying; none infected (emerald ash borer) 3 years ago, and almost none uninfected now.

http://www.emeraldashborer.info/about-eab.php

Good news - lots of top-quality firewood.

Sad news - no more big ash trees for maybe a century or so. Hopefully someday.

The strategy here is to cut them all down NOW, then there would be no hosts for the bug, which would die out before the seedlings grow big enough to infect. Hope it works.

[Bill in Oregon]

Doc, feel for you. When I moved to New Mexico from Ashland Oregon this fall, the bronze birch borer was wiping out all the birches too. With trees, you usually plant for the ones to come after you.

[GunnyMack]

Buddy of mine is a forester, probably 5 years ago he saw the writing on the wall and started urging his clients to cut the ash- some listened but most didn't. Our area was hit by disease more than the bugs, Ash yellows, causes the tree stress. Now the bugs are showing up.

For many years, the gypse moth was destroying the old growth oak stands here. Thousands of trees dying each year. Finally a fungus was discovered that was then released into the wind that causes the catapillers guts to fail, killing them. We still have them but now you see them hanging dead on the tree trunks!

Back in the 70's & 80's the government sprayed for the moths, used a broad spectrum insecticide, we didn't have ticks then,now we have more ticks then squirrels!

[piller]

Oddly enough, the fire ants we have in the Southern States have been noticed for their appetite for ticks. They aren't much good for anything else, but they do keep the tic population in check. Some University is studying a wasp which parasiteisizes (spelling?) the fire ant. Studies show that fire ants have a genetic fear of the wasp. If that wasp could be studied enough to be reasonably sure it wouldn't cause other problems, it might be a big help. Kind of like the fungus which kills the gypsy moth caterpillar.

Seems to me that a lot of insecticides cause more harm than good.

[Ray Newman]

As a Fellow Woodworker once said: "The EAB another 'quality' Asian import"....

[wecsoger]

More importantly, what are we doing to use to manufacture Fender Strats and Telecaster guitar bodies now? (grin)

Southwest Ohio here, wave went through here couple years ago. Thousands and thousands of trees. I still see some about, but obviously dead.

And another one gone. If you want to get depressed, research all the different types of trees we *don't* have now...

[Blaine]

I remember the Dutch Elm Disease from the 50s and 60s...We lost a wonderful 100-year-old in the front yard.

[Nath]

Britain has a problem with a fungus rotting ash trees.

[Gobblerforge]

Lots of dead ash here in south east Ohio. What I wonder is, now with the woods full of dead wood, how long has it been since Ohio had a wild fire?