Invasive emerald ash borer, which kills trees, spreads to 5 Texas counties. See where

Brandi D. Addison, USA TODAY NETWORK
Updated ·1 min read

The invasive beetle that kills ash trees has traveled to new areas in Texas.

The Texas A&M Forest Service confirmed last week that the emerald ash borer is now in five counties in North and Central Texas. The tiny beetle kills trees by consuming the tissues under the bark.

Here's what we know:

Where have officials spotted the emerald ash borer in Texas?

The five counties that now have the beetle are Grayson, Hill, Hood, McLennan and Palo Pinto.

“The spread of (the emerald ash borer) to these counties is alarming,” Texas A&M Forest Service Regional Forest Health Coordinator Allen Smith said in a news release. “It’s more likely for EAB to spread to adjacent counties, but the spread to McLennan County indicates that EAB is being spread by humans, which can be prevented.”

Notably, the species has entered the 6,000-acre Great Trinity Forest in Dallas, WFAA reported. It is considered the largest urban hardwood forest in the U.S.

How to prevent the spread of the species

There is no natural resistance to the insect, and both healthy and unhealthy ash trees are susceptible to it. Officials encourage residents to take proactive measures to prevent its spread. They include:

  • Leaving firewood at home and not transporting it, even within the state.

  • Using firewood from local sources near where it will be burned or purchasing firewood certified to be free of pests (indicated on the label).

  • Burning all moved firewood before leaving a campsite.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Spread of invasive emerald ash borer in Texas called alarming