Biology of the Agrilus Planipennis Agrilus planipennis, better known as the Emerald Ash Borer, is an exotic beetle feeding on ash trees in the phloem and outer sapwood. Adults emerge in late May thru June. Females lay from 65 to 90 eggs which hatch in 7 to 10 days. Larvae chew through the bark and into the cambial region where they remain until pupation in May. Infestation is difficult to detect until dieback of canopy begins. Branches will die once they are girdled by the serpentine tunnels losing 30 – 50% of the canopy in year one and killing the entire tree in years 2-3.

Controlling the Emerald Ash Borer You can control the borer with an injection of Pointer (Imidachloprid) directly into the cambial area with “the Wedgle” tree injection system. This injection method places the chemical directly where the insect is active without harming the tree like other drilling methods. One application per year will kill the borer larvae and prevent further damage. Effective treatment takes place in year one or as a preventative application. History of Imidicloprid Imidicloprid is manufactured by Bayer Environmental Science. It was first discovered in 1985 when a better alternative to nicotine was being searched for. Nicotine is a toxic insecticide but it was also found to be too toxic to warm blooded animals. (Makes you wonder what smokers are really putting in their bodies!) Imidicloprid is in the family of Chloronicotinyl Insecticides. It has a novel mode of action wherein it interferes with nerve impulse transmission of insects. It is benign in its exposure to people. Imidicloprid only affects insects not warm blooded animals. It was first Registered for use in 1994 as MERIT. Imidicloprid is the most widely used insecticide in the world. Some of the advantages of this insecticide are: Application rates are very low. Small amounts are very effective. It has a long residual control of 6-8 months. This is very important with our ash trees as one application is all that is needed per year. This systemic insecticide is easily translocated to other parts of a plant other than where it was originally applied. It has less impact on non-target organisms than other insecticides. This is important in soil injections where we hope we are not affecting the earth worms and other "beneficial" organisms.

Treatment of trees showing no symptoms, as a preventative, is recommended due to the severity of the infestation and the lethal consequences of the Ash Borer.