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Tree-Killing Beetle Found In North Carolina

A tree-killing beetle known as the emerald ash borer was recently found for the first time in Stanly County North Carolina. While it was the first time the insect had…

tree-killing beetle

Sign wrapped around an ash tree warning of potential emerald ash borer damage

SBSArtDept/Getty Images Creative

A tree-killing beetle known as the emerald ash borer was recently found for the first time in Stanly County North Carolina. While it was the first time the insect had been found in the county, it has been previously found in 62 other counties. Known for short as the "EAB", it is a metallic-green beetle. The insect tunnels in trees feed on the tissue underneath the bark and ultimately kill the tree.

Additionally, the adult beetles lay eggs inside the bark leading to a faster death. The NC Forest Service says signs of the beetles include: thinning and dying crowns; increased woodpecker activity that causes the tree to look like it is losing patches of bark; small, 1/8-inch D-shaped exit holes where adult beetles emerged from the trees; galleries on the inside of the bark; cream-colored larvae; and, epicormic sprouting or sprouting from the main stem of the tree.

The insects typically infest ash trees and native white fringetrees. They’re usually the most active from late spring to early summer.The cause of EAB spread tends to trace back to human activities. This includes transporting firewood.

Other counties in North Carolina that have detected the tree-killing beetle include:

  • Alamance
  • Alexander
  • Alleghany
  • Ashe
  • Avery
  • Buncombe
  • Burke
  • Cabarrus
  • Caldwell
  • Caswell
  • Catawba
  • Chatham
  • Cherokee
  • Clay
  • Cleveland
  • Davidson
  • Davie
  • Durham
  • Forsyth
  • Franklin
  • Gaston
  • Graham
  • Granville
  • Guilford
  • Halifax
  • Haywood
  • Henderson
  • Iredell
  • Jackson
  • Johnston
  • Lenoir
  • Lincoln
  • Macon
  • Madison
  • McDowell
  • Mecklenburg
  • Mitchell
  • Montgomery
  • Nash
  • Orange
  • Person
  • Pitt
  • Polk
  • Randolph
  • Rockingham
  • Rowan
  • Rutherford
  • Stanly
  • Stokes
  • Surry
  • Swain
  • Transylvania
  • Union
  • Vance
  • Wake
  • Warren
  • Watauga
  • Wayne
  • Wilkes
  • Wilson
  • Yadkin
  • Yancey
Melanie Day is a graduate of North Carolina State University. She has worked for Beasley since 2012 in a variety of behind-the-scenes roles in both digital and promotions. Melanie writes about a diverse range of topics some of her favorites include travel, restaurants, Taylor Swift, and college athletics. When not at work you'll find her at a country concert or NC State sporting event.