The emerald ash borer, a highly destructive invasive beetle, was first confirmed in Canada in 2002. (Submitted/Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
A conservation group says New Brunswickers should be concerned about the spread of a highly destructive beetle.
The emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills ash trees, was confirmed in Oromocto, just outside of Fredericton, this week.
It was previously reported in Edmundston, about 300 kilometres north of Oromocto, in 2018.
Andrew Holland, a spokesperson with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, said the beetle is a bigger issue than people may think.
“It has done just horrendous damage to forests and many ash trees in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, different parts of Ontario … now it’s into Winnipeg,” said Holland.
Native to China and eastern Asia, the beetle was first confirmed in Canada in 2002 and has killed millions of ash trees across North America.
Holland said affected municipalities have been forced to come up with plans to mitigate the beetle and remove the dead trees.
The emerald ash borer, a highly destructive invasive beetle, was first confirmed in Canada in 2002. (Submitted/Canadian Food Inspection Agency)
New Brunswick has three different types of ash trees: green ash, white ash and black ash — all of which are at risk from the beetle.
“It can kill basically 99 per cent of ash trees within a seven-year period once it gets established in a community,” Holland said.
But the impacts of the beetle go well beyond environmental damage, he said. Ash trees are seen as the best wood to make various products, including furniture and hockey sticks.
Adult emerald ash borers are a dark metallic green colour and measure approximately eight millimetres long and 1.6 millimetres wide.
The tiny beetle will only travel a few hundred metres per year on its own, Holland said, but can easily move long distances by hitching rides on trucks or firewood.
“Buy local firewood closer to your destination and burn it there,” he said. “If you’re at a campsite and you haven’t burned all of your wood, leave it there. Don’t put it in the back of your vehicle and transport it back home.”
Holland said you can also help by reporting possible sightings of emerald ash borer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency or the Canadian Forest Service.
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