Emerald ash borer found in Eastern Long Island

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk County announced earlier this month that emerald ash borer (EAB) has been confirmed for the first time in Eastern Long Island, on private property in the Town of Southold. Cornell Cooperative Extension confirmed larval specimens from infested trees earlier this month.

The borer has been in the U.S. since 2002, when it was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit. The adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae (the immature stage) feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients. is currently found in 35 states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

For more from the N.Y. DEC, click here.