VIEW THE
   Gallery

The new Virginia quarantine of EAB has expanded to include Fairfax, Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

Todd Haymore, Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), signed orders Monday (July 21, 2008) expanding the Fairfax County quarantine area to include the counties of Arlington, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.

Although it was previously thought the natural spread of EAB was limited to two miles a year, recent studies have found adults can travel as far as one mile per flight, and can take multiple flights, resulting in spreading infestations in excess of 10 - 20 miles.

From Commissioner Haymore-

The Emerald Ash Borer is a serious threat to ash trees in Virginia... VDACS and our partners are doing everything we can to document the extent of the original infestations and limit the spread to surrounding areas.

Although it now appears the newly-discovered VA infestation may actually be 2-3 years old, it's heartening to see how seriously VA state agencies are taking EAB, and how hard they're working to get the word out. I've heard several news stories about it on the radio this week alone, and I only listen sporadically. Hopefully the news will manage to spread faster than the beetle!