photo of adult Emerald Ash Borers - courtesy of the website of the Maine Forest Service

Brown ash trees can go by many names.  Butch actually refers to the tree as black ash.  Some people call it swamp ash or hoop ash.  The future of the brown ash tree, and white ash and green ash, are in peril.  They are threatened by the Emerald Ash Borer which is an Asian beetle that kills all three types of ash trees found in Maine. The adult Emerald Ash Borers lay their eggs in the bark of ash trees.  The larvae hatch and feed on the inner bark which results in the demise of the tree.  The beetles have spread to thirteen states and Canada. The transportation of infected firewood is one of the leading causes of spreading the infestation.  Unique Maine Farms plans on attending the Brown Ash Symposium at the University of Maine at Orono in June of 2013, and will be adding additional information about the work to prevent the Emerald Ash Borer to this profile.