A couple of unrelated press releases this week left Jefferson County just on the edge of a good news-bad news conundrum.
The good news that almost hit home is the establishment of a collaborative strike force founded to combat invasive plants along roads that center on I-55 from the Jefferson and Ste. Genevieve County line to the Arkansas state border, 165 miles to the south.
The other release led me to the discovery of a little good news for Jefferson County, but only for the time being. Emerald ash borers were found in two more counties in southwest Missouri. If you look at a map of counties with known infestations, most are in the southeast quadrant of the state and Jefferson stands out as an island.
It is more than a little naive to believe that there are no emerald ash borers here; we just haven’t found them yet, so the good news probably isn’t going to last too long.
Not being included in the strike force’s target area is somewhat disappointing since we were so close, but we have to cheer that fact that the state transportation and conservation departments will work with the Missouri Prairie Foundation to try eliminate invasive plants along I-55 and an additional 558 miles of connecting roads.
While the species of plants being targeted are not identified, I am sure they will be spot treating any non-native invaders they find, and I suspect prime targets will be honeysuckle bush, callery pear trees and kudzu, all which have prolifically spread here in Jefferson County and around the state.
“When invasive plants are left to thrive, they choke out the native plants,” said Nate Muenks of the conservation department. “The reduction in native plants can destroy valuable habitat and is very hard on our wildlife population.”
The plants expand their territory on natural air currents or when birds eat and then redistribute seeds, but Mark Aufdenberg from the transportation department said people in their cars and trucks unwittingly play a part as well.
“Our roadways are a major traveling corridor, for not only public transportation but also the spread of invasive weeds,” Aufdenberg said. “It’s surprising how invasive seeds are spread through vehicle movement, so if we can treat our roadways and stop them before they go onto other properties and conservation areas, that’s a good thing.”
Drivers should be alert for the large spray truck with its bright orange “Invasive Plant Strike Team” sign working along the highways.
“Please slow down and give them some room as they work,” Aufdenberg said. “Safety is most important in our roadside projects.”
Back to the borer news. The finds in Greene and Polk counties came in specialized traps on public and private land. Finding ash borers in a tree on your property is relatively easy when you can identify an ash and know the insect.
From a distance, you may notice die-back in the crown of the tree, which could be caused by other stressors as well, so you must confirm the trouble through a few emerald ash borer’s telltale traits.
The bug itself is only about a half-inch long and one-eighth-inch thick. As its name indicates, it is green, but so are many bugs. As larva they look like flat, white worms built of bell-shaped segments snaking their way beneath the bark. As adults, they emerge from an exit hole shaped like the letter D, about an eighth of an inch wide.
Ash trees under attack will attract woodpeckers that eat the larva from beneath the bark, and the trees may grow multiple sprouts from their trunks, below the infestation, trying to make up for the loss of leaves at the tree top.
The department of conservation encourages reports of tree pest damage by calling 1-866-716-9974 or by email to forest.health@mdc.mo.gov. The University of Missouri Extension also provides excellent resources to learn more about emerald ash borers.
John J. Winkelman is community relations manager at Mercy Hospital Jefferson. If you have news for the Leader’s Outdoor News page, e-mail ogmjohnw@aol.com and you can follow John on Twitter at @johnjwink99.