Ash tree-killing beetle found in Oconee

An invasive Asian beetle that kills millions of ash trees in North America has made it to Oconee, Greenville and Spartanburg counties.  Investigators with the Clemson University Department of Plant Industry detected the beetle called Emerald Ash Borer in South Carolina.  The beetles were found August 3 during a routine check of Emerald Ash Borer traps in the Upstate and confirmed by the U-S Agriculture Department.  The State Crop Pest Commission likely will quarantine the movement of ash wood in the three counties or the quarantine could be expanded statewide.  This year there are 757 traps across the state.  According to the Emerald Ash Borer Information Network, the beetle is believed to have first arrived in the U-S on wood packing material carried on import goods from Asia.  It was first detected near Detroit in 2002, and has been spreading since.  People who detect the beetle are asked to contact 864/646-2135 or [email protected].