Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire, is an exotic beetle that was discovered in Lombard in 2008. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae, however, feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. 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. Since its discovery, EAB has:
 

• Killed almost 400 trees in the Village since 2009.
• Killed tens of millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

• Caused regulatory agencies and the USDA to enforce quarantines (Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Kentucky) and fines to prevent potentially infested ash trees, logs or hardwood firewood from moving out of areas where EAB occurs.
• Cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars.

If you have an infested Ash tree on your private property that needs to be removed, a permit issued by the Public Works Department is required.  Click here for more information regarding the permit process.

For additional information, check out the Emerald Ash Borer website, a collaborative effort of the USDA Forest Service, Michigan State University, Purdue University and Ohio State University to provide comprehensive, accurate and timely information on the emerald ash borer to the site's visitors.

Click here to view a short video of the Emerald Ash Borer lifecycle.