INVASIVE ASH BORER BEETLE SPOTTED IN THE UPPER CUMBERLAND AREA
According to a report by Hannah Carley of The UC Now, the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle native to Asia, has been confirmed in Tennessee’s Upper Cumberland region, posing a severe threat to native ash trees. Area Forester Jeff Thompson explained to UC Now that the beetle lays larvae beneath the bark, which feed on the tree’s nutrient-transporting tissues, ultimately killing approximately 99% of infested ash trees within a year by hollowing them out from the inside.
This often goes unnoticed until symptoms like off-color leaves, dying crown branches, D-shaped exit holes, and increased woodpecker activity appear, leaving standing dead trees that pose hazards to people, vehicles, and structures.
The loss of ash trees impacts forests and urban landscapes, harms the local timber and firewood industry, disrupts habitat for wildlife such as squirrels, raccoons, and bats, and risks allowing invasive species to fill the resulting gaps—similar to the historical devastation caused by chestnut blight. Although the beetle spreads naturally over limited distances, human movement of firewood has been the primary vector for its rapid expansion across states.
Tennessee and neighboring states once imposed quarantines on ash lumber and firewood, but these were lifted as the infestation became widespread and viable ash timber dwindled, with loggers avoiding dying trees due to safety concerns. Thompson urges the public to help slow further spread by avoiding the transport of firewood from affected areas.
