August is the peak time of year to find aggressive wood-boring insects that lay their eggs beneath tree bark. Early detection can prevent pests from laying waste to forests and urban tree canopy. That’s why state agencies are asking residents to check their yards for harmful pests this month.
The USDA has dubbed August national Tree Check Month and they’re asking people to take ten minutes to look for signs of trouble.
“So people should be looking for tree damage, things like sudden die back or death, where a healthy tree may, within the course of one year, perish,” said Justin Bush, executive coordinator with Washington’s Invasive Species Council.
He says in August, adult beetles bore out of the host trees and fly away. So if a tree is struggling, look for sawdust. Then take a close look at the exit holes it came from.
“And that’s something that people can take a photo of and it’s really quite easy for an entomologist to make an ID from those holes. There’s specific sizes and shapes,” Bush says.
The emerald ash borer leaves a quarter inch hole that has a distinctive D shape. The Asian longhorned beetle leaves larger holes in shallow rows. Both are aggressive non-native species that have not yet reached Washington, but the state says more than 22 million acres of forest are at risk. They even offer a WAInvasivessmartphone app to make reporting and uploading photos convenient.
Early detection could avert widespread damage, says Karen Ripley, a forest entomologist with Washington’s Department of Natural Resources.
"It’s very low probability that any one individual person is going to find one of these beetles," she said "but if they do, it’s really important information to have. And they’re really saving the day by detecting them early when there’s still likelihood of control."
Invasive species pose a greater risk to the environment because they are usually introduced without the predators and diseases that serve as natural population controls in their native ecosystems. This means their numbers often increase exponentially and they can swiftly displace native species.
Wood borers tend to spread relatively slowly, so early detection can avert major damage. The state says they would most likely be introduced if people transport firewood over long distances or through other forms of trade and commerce.
