A tiny beetle could wipe out Britain’s ash trees much faster than the established ash dieback disease which is expected to eventually kill millions of the trees, according to the government’s leading authority on pests and pathogens threatening UK forests.
“The emerald ash borer is moving uncontrolled through Russia. It flies long distances, moves quickly and can reproduce in the UK,” said Nicola Spence, chief plant health scientist. The beetle has not has yet arrived in the UK, but she warned: “There is a high risk of it being introduced and establishing itself.”
According to Prof Spence, the ash borer is now top of the UK’s plant risk register, which now counts 811 pests and diseases threatening trees and plants. While ash dieback disease, or chalara, has been given a score of 100 out of 125 as a relative risk, ash borer disease registers the maximum 125.
The Guardian: Ash trees under threat if harmful borer beetle finds way to Britain
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