TREE BOXES: A deluge of calls and emails gave us the reason
behind those purple (not blue) boxes found in some area trees.

The state is collecting a pesky insect in those boxes – the
Emerald Ash Borer – for research on its distribution in the
state.

We spoke directly to Sandy Gardosik, an entomologist with the
state Department of Agriculture, who gave us an overview of the
ongoing study.

“The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive species from Asia,” she
said, “so we hired 70 college students to hang these traps in 35
different counties, among them McKean County. The remaining
counties will be covered by other cooperating agencies.”

The boxes are purple to attract the insect – and are put only in
ash trees because the beetle only goes after ash trees, she
said.

“We’ll put a box in an ash tree every mile and a half, but only
if there’s an ash tree at that distance,” she said. “We’ve put a
pheromone called manuko oil on the box to draw in the beetles even
more. The beetles think the tree is distressed, which adds to its
attractiveness.”

She warns people not to disturb these boxes or the ash trees.
“First of all, we’re collecting the insects so we can do research
on the distribution of these insects in the various counties and
also find the best way to handle the problem. Secondly, the oil on
the boxes is sticky.”

Allegheny, Beaver, Lawrence and Butler counties are now
quarantined for these pests, so people are prohibited from
transporting firewood out of those counties.

“We haven’t found a beetle there since,” she said.

The beetle does its damage under the bark in the larval state,
she said. “We will see them throughout the summer. Adults will
merge out of the tree, mate, lay eggs in the crevices of the bark,
and the eggs will hatch in a couple of weeks. They’ll spend the
rest of their lives right under the bark, living in the vital park
of the tree.”

The state will continue to monitor the pests until the end of
August, returning twice during the summer to check the boxes.

Besides asking the public’s cooperation in leaving these traps
undisturbed, Gardosik said people should call the Penn State
Cooperative Extension office in their area if they should happen to
see the insect.