Tuesday News Report: Ash Trees in Danger

Audio/Story posted February 20, 2013 in CommRadio, News by Tyler Ball

Ash Trees spanning from Michigan to the Atlantic coast of New Jersey are currently threatened by Emerald Ash borers. The borers originate from northern China and some how made their way to Michigan about twenty years ago. Professor Tom Baker, in the Entomology department, contacted Akhlesh Lakhtakia to help get rid of the EAB's. Dr. Lakhtakia used polymers to create a female decoy that would attract the male borers. The first experiment using the fake female borers was held in Hungry, and was 40% successful trapping male borers. Lakhtakia hopes to get more funding for this project, and more experiments will be conducted so that the female decoys can be deployed here in the U.S. Dr. Laktakia says that the Ash trees may only be able to survive for another twenty years, unless action is taken in getting rid of the male ash borers.