EAB on Ligustrum?

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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Mar 08, 2006

I read a report somewhere that said the Emerald Ash Borer was capable of colonizing Ligustrum species. If that is true wouldn't that mean that the EAB would be capable of reaching into non-Ash areas via privet? If it did destroy some privet I guess that would be the only thing it would be good for.

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Equilibrium Mar 08, 2006

http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/products/gallery/agrpl1.html
Looks as if Agrilus planipennis can feed on Privet but so far I've not really run across any where that they have found it doing so. Do you have the article you read?

You might be thinking of a different bug- Tylonotus bimaculatus perhaps?

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Mar 08, 2006

According to our state's EAB coordinator, it can survive on other things too, at non-lethal levels. I believe one of them was Pterocarya, or maybe Platycarya. Face it, folks, unless we find a major predator/parasite for EAB, it won't be stopped.

Guy S.

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kandlmidd Presque Isle, WI(Zone 3b) Mar 08, 2006

Guy, Is there none in its native surrondings? Now here is a case where genetic modification could really make a difference, or the introduction of sterility as in the screw-worm. I am afraid that our aultrustic society won't see the "value" in it until we are left with cockroaches feeding on telephone poles. Ken

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StarhillForest Illinois, IL(Zone 5b) Mar 08, 2006

In its native haunts it probably is kept in check by the evolved resistance of its host species (Manchurian ash, etc.), sort of like Dutch elm disease and chestnut blight are kept to sublethal levels by evolved resistance in their native host species of elms and chestnuts respectively. But maybe there are natural predators or parasites too, and that's probably our best hope.

Like most other things, we totally missed the boat on stopping it in Michigan -- too little too late, with too much politics throwing monkey wrenches into everything. They should have offered free firewood at all campsites, paid for by $10,000 fines (and vehicle confiscation?) on anyone caught hauling ash firewood around. They also should have established treated trap trees instead of just trying to clearcut buffer strips. The beetles simply kept flying until they found another ash, for miles if necessary. Seems like the EAB plan might have been formulated by the same morons who planned the disastrous operations in Viet Nam and Iraq and New Orleans.

Guy S.

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Equilibrium Mar 08, 2006

Quoting:
society won't see the "value" in it until we are left with cockroaches feeding on telephone poles
Couldn't have said it better myself. GREAT analogy Ken.

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escambiaguy Atmore, AL(Zone 8b) Mar 08, 2006

I cant remember where I saw it but they were doing an experiment with wood. They took an Ash log, a Ligustrum log, and a Black Walnut log, and scraped some bark off of them. Then they nailed the logs on top of a post in an EAB infested area and left them. When they came back to check them the Ash log was infested, the Ligustrum log also had quite a bit of borers, and the Walnut log had only one bug that had not done any damage.

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