Tree-Eating Beetle Infests Several North Carolina Counties

A tiny metallic green beetle that has destroyed tens of millions of trees in the Midwest has made its way into North Carolina.

The emerald ash borer has been found in nearly a dozen counties in the state.

The Asian beetle lays eggs on the bark of ash trees. When they hatch, the larvae bore into the bark and feeds on the tree - robbing it of its nutrients and water. The trees usually die within a couple of years.

This insect's impact can be devastating. A report from Ecological Economics estimates 17 million ash trees will become infested in 25 states by 2019, costing more $10 billion.

Wendi Hartup is with Forsyth County Cooperative Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at N.C. State University and the School of Agriculture at N.C. A&T State University. She says there's new evidence that the insects are also infesting to other kinds of trees as well. 

“That's kind of scary because we thought it was just Ash trees,” says Hartup. "They don't really seem to be controlled by weather and that has people concerned because if they don't die from really cold weather, they can certainly withstand the heat and can spread.”

Hartup says they're also spread when people haul infested firewood to other places. A dozen counties have quarantines in place, which prohibit the removal and transport of firewood and other ash materials.

Environmental agencies say if a person identifies an emerald ash borer they should report it to the NC department of Agriculture or call their county forest ranger to diagnose the tree.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture is performing aerial surveys and setting up traps in some parts of the region to monitor for any possible infestations.

*Follow Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news .