Dreaded Emerald Ash borer found in NY

State environment officials say one of the most dreaded invasive species of the last decade has been identified in NY.

According to the DEC, the Emerald ash borer — a rather beautiful, but nasty little insect — could threaten as many as 900 million trees statewide: that’s 7 percent of our entire tree stock.

The first confirmed find has been reported in Randolph, in Cattaraugus County. That’s in southwestern NY.

Here in the Adirondacks, we’ve been seeing purple traps slung in trees, designed to capture Ash borers that may have entered the region. So far, no sightings have been reported in the North Country.

Commissioner Peter Grannis called the news “a wake-up call” and a “grave threat to the health of our natural resources and ecosystems.”

Find much more about the Emerald Ash borer here.

Gregory Warner reported about the invasive beetle for NCPR in 2005. Here is his story: