The invasive and destructive Emerald Ash Borer has been discovered on Mount Desert Island, prompting state officials to ask private landowners to check their ash trees for beetle damage.
Mike Parisio, a Maine Forest Service entomologist, said the island is now in quarantine to try to contain the infestation.
"If local people see symptoms specifically woodpecker damage. Take really good quality pictures and send them our way. That's going to be our most powerful survey tool right now, the public and tree care professionals," he said.
Parisio said the infested trees will be removed and chipped on the island.
"For the interim everything should stay on the island. Local use on the property for things like firewood, that's acceptable," Parisio said. "The main thing is just preventing removed material from traveling long distances and possibly starting a new infestation somewhere else."
Parisio said removing the trees and chipping them on the island is the first step. Landowners can also hire a licensed arborist to perform insecticide injections for healthy or minimally infested ash trees to protect them. If the infestation grows, Parisio said the Forest Service plans to deploy a biological control by using wasps that prey on beetles.
