Authorities have added five more counties in Tennessee to the list of quarantined areas due to the infestation of emerald ash borers. The announcement came three weeks after other counties in New Jersey were also added to the list.

The five counties newly included in the emerald ash borer quarantine are Franklin, Marshall, Rutherford, Trousdale and Williamson. The new additions may only mean that the spread of the parasite is becoming more pronounced. In total, 46 counties in Tennessee have been included in the quarantine list of both the state and federal government.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the Tennessee Division of Forestry predict that approximately 271 million ash trees, amounting to about $11 billion, could possibly be stricken by the emerald ash borer. The growing infestation has become alarming. Authorities believe that it is high time to implement more pest control measures immediately to prevent contamination. This is to halt the further spread of the parasite in other territories.

Moving firewood, ash timber, ash nursery stock and other wood forms that may cause disease is prohibited. The public is instructed to inform the Department of Agriculture should they suspect ash trees that may be infested with the emerald ash borer.

Some basic rules to follow in order to control the spread of disease are using local firewood burned near its origin; purchasing firewood certified pest-free; knowing the appearance of infected trees; and halting firewood transport.

Emerald ash borer traps are installed all around Tennessee every year by several government and nongovernment environmental groups such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Tennessee Department of Environment, Tennessee Department of Agriculture and Conservation and the University of Tennessee. The yearly activity involves putting up purple triangular traps, resembling box kites, on ash trees.

The emerald ash borer in the U.S. was believed to have come from infected wood supplies from Asia during the 1990s. In Tennessee, the first case of infestation was noted in 2010. The said pest is known to kill one ash tree in a span of three years.

Photo: Chris Waits | Flickr