Have you noticed any purple prism-shaped boxes hanging from trees?  Wondering what is the purpose of these boxes? 

They are traps set by the PA Department of Agriculture to catch a ruthless invader, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).  Native to eastern Russia, northern China, Japan and Korea, the EAB is a wood-boring beetle that is devastating ash trees throughout the central and eastern U.S.  EAB is a serious pest to ash trees as the adult beetles feed on the tree's foliage and the larvae, the most harmful life stage, feed on the inner bark of the trees creating S-shaped tunnels that damage the vascular tissues under the bark.  The ash trees then die.  

First detected in Michigan about nine years ago, the beetle has since been found in  Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Virginia, West Virginia, and here in Pennsylvania.  Thus far, the beetle has only been detected in western and central PA; the southeast region has been EAB-free to date.

Look for these boxes throughout our area, but please leave them undisturbed. Learn more about EAB, including what you can do to help prevent its spread, 

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