Prevention is the Key to Saving Your Expensive Trees From Emerald Ash Borer

Raleigh, NC &mdash Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Maryland. Those are the states under the gun from a destructive insect called the Emerald Ash Borer. The insect, which is green and a half-inch long, is killing millions of ash trees and costing municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and the forest industry tens of millions of dollars.

• Regulatory agencies and the United States Department of Agriculture have imposed quarantines and fines in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois and Maryland to prevent ash trees, logs or firewood from being transported or moved.
• Many city governments have resorted to sawing down trees as a way to deal with the pest.
• And it?s becoming major news. Since January 2006, more than 1,400 stories have been written about the Emerald Ash Borer.

The Emerald Ash Borer, which is the size of a penny, has killed more than 20 million ash trees in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, with most of the devastation in southeastern Michigan. That?s according to www.emeraldashborer.info, a collaborative Web site created by USDA Forest Service, the Michigan and Ohio Departments of Agriculture, the Michigan, Indiana and Ohio Departments of Natural Resources and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), as well as Michigan State University, Purdue University and Ohio State University.

The insect is an exotic beetle that was discovered near Detroit in the summer of 2002. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the growing part beneath the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting and eventually cutting off the tree?s ability to transport water and nutrients, thereby killing it. The Emerald Ash Borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. The insect was found in Ohio in 2003, northern Indiana in 2004 and northern Illinois in 2006. It?s also in Ontario, Canada.

The U.S. Forest Service Says Billions of Trees in the United States Are At Risk.
What Can Homeowners Do?

What?s at risk? Billions of ash trees in most states in the country. The United States Forest Service estimates there are more than 7.5 billion ash trees growing in 40 states ? all considered susceptible to EAB attacks.

While many cities are chopping down trees on public property, what can homeowners do to save the trees in their own yards?

According to Michigan State University?s Homeowner Guide to Emerald Ash Borer Treatments (January 2006), Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control, with the active ingredient MERIT® (imidacloprid), is listed as a treatment option in May to early June. The guide is available free at www.emeraldashborer.info. (Disclaimer: Michigan State University does not endorse Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control over other options. The product is discussed in the homeowner guide because it has been evaluated in MSU research tests on the Emerald Ash Borer.)

"The best plan of attack against EAB is prevention," says Lance Walheim, Bayer Advanced Garden Expert and author of more than 30 books, including Landscaping for Dummies.

Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Insect Control with its MERIT® insecticide is the first do-it-yourself no-spray consumer product to protect the tree against destructive insects from the inside out.

Most traditional insecticide products require you to use ladders and spray the leaves of the tree. That can be dangerous, and not terribly effective, if you have a tall tree. Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Control is a drench. "Just mix it in a watering can and pour it at the base of the tree," says Walheim.

The insecticide moves down through the soil, where it is absorbed by the roots. Once absorbed, it moves up through the growing part of the tree beneath the inner bark, exactly where the EAB larvae feed. A single treatment provides the ash tree with up to 12 months of insect protection from the roots to the highest branches. That?s longer lasting protection than any competitive product.

"To get complete protection, the MERIT® must distribute completely through the tree. This may take one week to three months for very large trees," says Walheim.

The product protects the tree against Emerald Ash Borer, aphids, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and other listed pests. Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control even protects new tree growth.

Bayer Advanced is a business group of Bayer CropScience LP and part of the Bayer AG family, a Fortune Global 500 company. Members of the Bayer AG family make such well-known brands as Bayer Aspirin, Aleve® and Alka-Seltzer®. Research Triangle Park, N.C., is the business headquarters of Bayer CropScience LP. Kansas City, Mo is Bayer CropScience LP?s core technology center. The global headquarters of Bayer CropScience is located in Monheim, Germany.>/

Bayer Advanced products deliver Better Science. Better Results.® They are available in major garden retailers and independent garden shops across the United States. Bayer Advanced will refund your purchase price if you are not completely satisfied. You can learn more by visiting www.bayeradvanced.com or by calling 1-877-BAYERAG. Always read and follow label instructions.

Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Bayer Advanced, Better Science. Better Results, Aleve and Alka-Seltzer are trademarks of Bayer.

About Bayer Advanced

Bayer Advanced lawn and garden products are created by Bayer Environmental Science, a business unit of Bayer CropScience LP and part of the Bayer AG family, a Fortune Global 500 company that makes such well-known brands as Bayer Aspirin, Aleve® and Alka-® Research Triangle Park, NC, is the business headquarters of the company''s NAFTA Region. Kansas City, MO, is the company''s core technology center. The global headquarters of Bayer CropScience is located in Monheim, Germany.

Bayer Advanced products deliver Better Science. Better Results.™ and carry a money-back guarantee. They are available at major retailers and independent garden shops across the United States. You can learn more by visiting www.bayeradvanced.com or by calling 1-877-BAYERAG.

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