The emerald ash borer is a very colorful bug. As Floridians we should be aware of the likely arrival of the Emerald Ash Borer to our State. This is a wood borer that has caused the largest tree-death event on the American continent in just 20 years. It has now established in north Georgia, spreading south. Florida is home to the Carolina Ash and is the only ash tree not currently listed as critically endangered in the latest update to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, a database of every species in danger of becoming extinct. The Carolina ash is simply endangered, because the emerald ash borer (which, as its name suggests, burrows through tree trunks) doesn’t thrive as voraciously in Floridian heat. So the Carolina ash might—maybe—be safe. We really don’t know yet.

I know many folks who hunt, camp and travel to areas where the emerald ash borer is a problem. Don’t transport firewood! We could very easily shorten the distance from its known last location in Georgia right into Florida! Take a few minutes watch and “digest” the information. The IFAS Forest Entomology lab and the Florida Forest Service worked together with Untamed Science to make a short and fun movie about what this means for Florida, and how anyone can respond to the pest. To see pictures of this bug and more go to the following website and watch the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYPRZfBJTM4

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