Timeline of EAB detection in PA
JUNE 2007
An adult emerald ash borer was collected on a green ash tree in a non-residential landscape in Butler County, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. On June 27, 2007 the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence Counties in western Pennsylvania. Ground surveys are being conducted by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine; Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Division of Forest Pest Management; Pennsylvania State University, Cooperative Extension, Department of Entomology; and certified arborists to further delineate the extent of the infestation. On Friday, June 29, 2007 emerald ash borer was confirmed in Allegheny County, Marshall Township.
JUNE 2008
In late June 2008 the emerald ash borer was found in West Middlesex, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. The detection occurred approximately 0.5 mile from Ohio on ash trees at the Welcome Center along the eastbound lanes of I-80. It's believed that this infestation had been present at this site for several years. These ash trees have been removed and were properly disposed of in late September 2008.
FEBRUARY 2009
The emerald ash borer was identified in Granville, Mifflin County, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff announced on February 25, 2009. This beetle was first detected in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 in Butler County and was found again the following summer in Mercer County. To help slow the spread of the beetle, a state-imposed quarantine for Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties will now be expanded to include Mifflin County. State and federal emerald ash borer quarantines restrict the movement from the quarantine area of ash nursery stock, green lumber and any other ash material, including logs, stumps, roots and branches, and all wood chips. "Our survey crews are assessing the extent of the infestation in Mifflin County and surrounding areas," said Wolff. "We remind consumers to heed the quarantine when traveling and camping this spring and summer-not just in the quarantined areas but throughout Pennsylvania-to prevent any further spread of the beetle."
Greg Hoover, ornamental entomologist with Penn State's Department of Entomology was also informed that an EAB extension training session conducted for master gardeners in Mifflin County resulted in one of the master gardeners in attendance placing the EAB information shared at the training session on their blog. A Mifflin County resident saw the EAB information on this master gardener's blog and then contacted the appropriate authorities. This indeed highlights the importance of Penn State Cooperative Extension educational programming and public outreach.
JUNE 2009
Emerald Ash Borer beetles have been found in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, bringing to seven the number of counties where the ash tree-destroying pest has been identified, Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff announced. A Westmoreland County crew detected the new infestation.
Surveys conducted in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2009 also detected the emerald ash borer in Washington, Armostrong, and Indiana counties. Twenty crews working with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture spent the summer of 2009 assessing the spread of the emerald ash borer.
October 2009
A total of 11 Pennsylvania counties are now under an order of quarantine for the emerald ash borer. Juniata County was added to this list late in October.
May 2010
In mid-May the emerald ash borer was detected in Bedford County. A total of 12 counties are now under an order of quarantine for the emerald ash borer.
The general public is reminded of the quarantine that is in effect throughout Pennsylvania with hopes of preventing any further spread of the beetle.
July 2010
As of July 2010 the emerald ash borer was detected in Centre (Potters Mills), Somerset (Quemahoning Township), Fulton (Valley Hi Borough), Union, and Cumberland counties. This pest has now been confirmed in 17 Pennsylvania counties.
September 2010
In September 2010 the emerald ash borer was detected in Clarion County. This pest has now been confirmed in 18 Pennsylvania counties.
May 2011
In May 2011 the emerald ash borer was detected in southern Lycoming County. This pest has now been confirmed in 19 Pennsylvania counties.
July 2011
In early July 2011 the emerald ash borer was detected in southern Wyoming County. To date, this pest has been confirmed in 20 Pennsylvania counties.
On July 5 Huntingdon County was confirmed positive for the EAB. Eight adult EAB specimens were recovered from a purple panel sticky trap baited with manuka oil in a small wooded lot in Mt. Union, PA adjacent to warehouse.
The EAB was confirmed in Sullivan County on Thursday July 28. The location is along Rt. 87 east of Colley, PA in Colley Township in northeastern Sullivan County. One EAB adult was taken on a purple panel sticky trap.
March 2012
In mid-March 2012 the EAB was confirmed on trees in a residential area in Warrington, Bucks County.
June 2012
In early June 2012 the EAB was confirmed in two locations in Perry County. The first site was in a campground on the Susquehanna River in Liverpool, PA. The second location was at the first eastbound truck pull-off on Rt. 322 as you enter Perry County. Both of these sites are USDA-APHIS, Otis Lab's trap efficacy test sites.
The EAB was also found in Venango County. This site was turned in by the USDA and was found by visual / destructive survey in a campground in Emlenton, PA.
Additionally, the EAB was confirmed on a trap in an USDA-APHIS, Otis Lab's trap efficacy test site at the State Center in Selinsgrove, Snyder County.
July 2012
In early July 2012 the EAB was confirmed in Franklin County. In late July 2012 the EAB was confirmed in Jefferson County.
August 2012
In early August the EAB was also confirmed in Clinton County on a purple prism trap.
December 2012
The EAB was detected by a PDA employee in a visual/destructive sample near Watsontown in Northumberland County on December 4.
This detection brings the total number of confirmed EAB-infested counties in Pennsylvania to 34.
