Ash trees wrapped in a band of purple cellophane are dotted along some Portland, Ore., landscapes in an effort to detect emerald ash borers.
The destructive pest has not been spotted in Oregon yet, but the state’s Insect Pest Prevention and Management Program are trying to be proactive.
“We have many ash trees in Oregon, both in the urban environment and in riparian areas,” said Kathleen Johnson, the program’s supervisor. “This is a pest we don’t want established in Oregon. If these beetles have entered the state, we want to find them early.”
State officials are keeping a close eye for the pest even though Oregon is about 2,000 miles away from the Great Lakes region where the borer has devastated ash populations.
In the past, Oregon Department of Agriculture survey technicians have conducted visual inspections of ash trees in concert with gypsy moth and Japanese beetle inspections. But this year, ODA is taking an additional step by using trap trees.
The trees are stressed by removing at least a 3-inch band of bark around the trunk. Purple cellophane is wrapped above the girdled area and sprayed with a sticky substance. Adult emerald ash borers are attracted to the color purple and to stressed trees. Inspectors will peel back the bark in search of signs of the insect as the trap trees are removed in fall.
The trees were donated by J. Frank Schmidt and Son Co., a nursery in Boring, Ore.
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For more: Kathleen Johnson, Oregon Department of Agriculture, (503) 986-4662; kjohnson@oda.state.or.us.