Purple triangular boxes in trees

[Wildfowler]

For the past several months now I've been noticing purple triangular shaped open boxes hanging in trees. Locations seem to be totally random with no rhyme or reason as to why they are there.

I finally pulled over and snapped a picture of one and examined it with my binoculars. The grass was too high and I didn't want to walk under the box to see if there was anything else present at the site. With binoculars I could tell there was a sticky residue on the outside of the box and there were small insects on the box.

A friend helped me look this up. Give study of ash tree boring beetles.


https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health ... tocols.pdf

Who is putting these traps out in Mississippi, and does anyone know the results of their findings are in our state?

Thanks.

[ufgators68]

I've seen a few around my area. Forgot to google them.

[DanP]

There is an entomologist with the US Forest Service in Jackson heading that up. I don't remember her name. The Emerald Ash Borer has not been officially documented in Mississippi. It has been documented in Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Alabama so I'm betting its probably already here we just haven't found it yet.

Good info here: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/#sthash.Gy80Byd2.dpbs

[DanP]

Just got an email that it has been found in Monticello Arkansas which is 2-3 counties east of where it was last year and now just one county away from MS.

[Wildfowler]

Thanks Dan. Judging from that map it would seem that the only reason it has not been found in Mississippi is because they've not been looking yet?

So are ash trees in Mississippi going to be a thing of the past or is this not much to worry about?

[hdforester]

Experts say not if but when. I feel pretty certain they are here - just haven't "officially" found em.

[DanP]

Experts say not if but when. I feel pretty certain they are here - just haven't "officially" found em.

I agree completely. As for what the future holds I have no clue. It's been pretty devastating up north but once they run out of ash do they die off? Hope so...

[Wingman]

Lots of those boxes in DNF.

[cajun squealer]

About a year ago in the Hillsborough River State Park down here in Tampa, I noticed several purple triangular tubes made out of corrugated plastic hanging throughout the swamp along the boardwalk path. Of course this odd contraption sparked my interest. I finally found a sign explaining what this was, and, sure enough, they were purple prism traps for emerald ash borer research. If there's that much concern about them this far south 8 years ago, I'd imagine it's definitely a "when" and not "if" question.

2009 FL survey: http://freshfromflorida.s3.amazonaws.co ... 4-2010.pdf

More recent national report info: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.php

[JaMak84]

Damage in Toledo Ohio

[Wildfowler]

Here's a little news article on this subject I just saw.

http://wwmt.com/news/nation-world/scien ... 09-14-2017

I hope this is not what we get for importing all of our cheap Chinese crap?

[Deltaquack]

I actually saw one in a tree on the VanDevender's land at Fitler yesterday. I was driving from the levee over to Hwy 1 and it caught my eye on the side of the Hwy. Good to know now what it was.

[JaMak84]

Thinking about starting a pool at the next forestry association meeting. Put all the county names in a hat. $5/draw.