Emerald ash borer bug poses new threat to trees

As if ash trees didn't face enough difficulties, coming over the horizon is a tree boring insect that's hitched a lift on trucks.

Researchers have recorded the presence of the emerald ash borer in Moscow since 2007, as it became established in broadleaved woodlands surrounding the Russian capital.

Reporting in the science journal Forestry, researchers say that the emerald ash borer had spread 146 miles (235km) west of Moscow and 137 miles (220 km) south of the Russian capital city.

Over the past four years the insect has spread about 25 miles each year, and it is believed that the insects 'hitched a lift' on vehicles to reach across the region.

The team behind the study describe the ash borer as a "major threat to Fraxinus excelsior (European ash), and south of Moscow, where the beetle has become established in natural broadleaved woodlands in which F. excelsior is a major component, many of the ash trees are suffering severe dieback and mortality".

While it is recognised that it would take many years for the insect to reach the UK due to its own natural expansion, the fear is that it could arrive via transport links.

The spread of invasive species is something that is being raised at both a national and European level as the potential damage that could be caused by insects or plants from outside the region is believed to be high.

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