Rockwall County, Texas – The Texas A&M Forest Service said that Rockwall County has confirmed the presence of an invasive beetle species that is known to be very harmful to ash trees. The emerald ash borer (EAB), which comes from northeastern Asia, has been found in 31 Texas counties since it was first seen in the state in 2016.
Rockwall is the newest place where EAB activity has been confirmed, along with Jack, Navarro, Somervell, and Bell counties. In 2024 and 2023, Collin County and Hopkins County, which are next to one other, were added to the list. This shows that the insect continues to spread throughout Texas.
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The larvae of the emerald ash borer consume the bark of ash trees, which is what makes it so dangerous. They dig into the phloem, which is the tissue that distributes nutrients around the tree, and cut off the tree’s food source. If you don’t cure an ash tree that has bugs, it will usually die in five years.
“EAB is one of the worst invasive insects to impact North American forests,” said Allen Smith with the Texas A&M Forest Service. “EAB does not typically fly far distances naturally. Their expansion across the state and U.S. has been expedited due to human activity, like moving infected firewood and ash tree products across state and county lines.”
Adult emerald ash borers are small, shiny green insects that are about half an inch long. They are most active in Texas from May to June and are commonly seen among ash trees. Signs of an infestation include dead branches toward the top of the tree, new shoots growing from the trunk, S-shaped tunnels under the bark, and little D-shaped holes caused by adult beetles that are coming out.
The Texas Department of Agriculture plans to put a quarantine in place in the newly affected counties because the threat continues to grow worse. This rule will make it harder to move ash wood items, like nursery stock, logs, mulch, firewood, and wood packing, across county boundaries.
“Because EAB is transported unintentionally on wood products, the quarantine helps slow the beetle’s spread by restricting the movement of wood in and out of affected areas,” said Demian Gomez with the Texas A&M Forest Service. “Texans can be proactive in preventing the spread of EAB and other pests and diseases by burning firewood where it is bought.”
To help stop future outbreaks, forest officials encourage residents and own property near trees to plant other kinds of trees. The 10-20-30 rule says that no more than 10% of one species, 20% of one genus, and 30% of one plant family should be present. This can help lower the chance of major damage from any one pest or disease.
As the emerald ash borer spreads further each year, raising awareness and getting people to work together are becoming important tools in the fight to save Texas forests.
