A Wellington North councillor wants an assessment done of trees in danger of falling prey to the dreaded emerald ash borer (EAB). Councillor Andy Lennox said he has followed reports of the EAB migrating north in Wellington County and said the township should do an assessment of its trees to determine how to combat the bug.
“We have to do an assessment in Wellington North,” he said at the Dec. 2 council meeting. “We might want to begin with an assessment so Mount Forest doesn’t become a misnomer.”
EAB is an invasive insect, meaning it is not native to this region and has devastating effects on native plants and animals. Originally from Asia, EAB is spreading throughout southern Ontario killing North American ash trees.
EAB larvae (young) feed just beneath the bark of ash trees and disrupt the movement of water and nutrients. This pest continues to spread north through Ontario by flying from ash tree to ash tree. The rapid, large-scale spread of EAB, however, is facilitated by transporting firewood, nursery stock and logs. EAB has already killed millions of trees but early detection can slow its spread and damage.
