Urban Forestry.

Pests & Diseases.

In Butler County, the movement of nearly all types of hardwood products is prohibited. Regulated materials that should NOT be removed from Butler County include hardwood nursery stock, unprocessed lumber, or any other type of hardwood material, such as logs, stumps, roots, branches, mulch, wood chips, or any firewood (including firewood that is kiln-dried, seasoned, or green).

Learn more at www.dontmovefirewood.org.  

Information on Asian Longhorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, and Thousand Cankers Disease - all impacting southwest Ohio - can be viewed below. For information on additional tree pests and diseases, view the Insect Pests & Diseases Poster and follow the QR codes.

Don't Move Firewood

In an effort to protect the trees of Ohio from multiple pest infestations that threaten the health and viability of the state’s hardwood forests, the movement of firewood and certain tree products is tightly regulated by both state and federal authorities in Ohio.

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Asian Longhorned Beetle.jpeg

The Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anopliphora glabripennis) is native to Southeast Asia and was first discovered in the United States in the mid 1990s in New York. The Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) has no known natural predators and poses a threat to Ohio’s hardwood forests. This invasive beetle is not a species-specific pest, but targets many different species of trees. The Federal government is working in conjunction with local governments and professional arborists to combat it. 

Signs of infestation include perfectly round exit holes (about 3/8 to 1/2 inch in diameter) made by adult beetles when they emerge from trees. Infested trees may also snap or break during high winds due to the wood being weakened by tunneling. 

Please report potential infestations to the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 855.252.6450 or plantpest@agri.ohio.gov.

Learn more by visiting the following websites:

Emerald Ash Borer

The Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) is native to eastern Asia, first seen in the United States near Detroit in 2002. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has no native predators and has spread throughout all of Ohio, and much of the eastern United States. The insect matures just beneath the bark of ash trees, eating vascular tissue of the tree which ultimately leads to the tree’s death. All species of ash are affected and the mortality rate nears 100%.

Additional EAB resources:

Thousand Cankers Disease 1.jpeg

Thousand Cankers Disease

Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD) primarily affects black walnut trees, as well as other species of walnut, and is caused by a fungus (Geosmithia sp.) transported by the walnut twig beetle (Pityophthorus juglandis) – a type of bark beetle. Discovered in Colorado in 2003, TCD has caused the widespread death of black walnuts in many western states over the last decade. TCD was first reported in Ohio in late 2012 and has been confirmed in Butler County. 

Signs and symptoms of TCD include thinning crowns, yellowing or wilted leaves in the crown, and limbs that died recently. The fungus causes distinctive circular to oblong cankers in the phloem under the bark. The bark surface may have no symptoms, or dark amber to black stain or cracking of the bark may occur directly above a canker. Numerous tiny bark beetle entrance and exit holes are visible on dead and dying branches. Please report suspected walnut trees impacted by TCD to the Ohio Department of Agriculture at 855.252.6450 or plantpest@agri.ohio.gov.

Learn more by visiting the following websites:

Spotted Lantern Fly

Spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) is an invasive planthopper that feeds on a wide range of plants, but prefers tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima). When the spotted lanternfly feeds, it excretes a sticky, sugary liquid that causes sooty mold, which can further damage the tree. Currently seventeen states have are infested. It lays its eggs on any hard surfaces including vehicles, trailers, firewood, outdoor furniture, and bikes.

If you think you have found SLF, please try to collect a sample or take a quality photo, and then PLEASE REPORT it:

Learn more by visiting the following websites:

August Pests & Diseases

Beech Leaf Disease

Beech leaf disease (BLD) was first found in the United States in 2012 in Lake county, Ohio. It has since spread to 12 other states in the Northeastern U.S and some provinces in Canada. This disease is still not fully understood so research is still being conducted to better understand it, but there are a few points researchers have consistently observed. First, American beech trees (Fagus americana) seem to be one of the main host trees for this disease, although it has also been observed on European (F. sylvatica) beech and other ornamental beech trees. A nematode is associated with the transfer of the disease, but it is not known if they on their own are the sole vector for the disease. Early symptoms of BLD include a dark banding pattern in between the lateral veins on the leaves, with the leaves later becoming shriveled with a thick texture as the disease progresses. The dark banding then becomes yellow and chlorotic, and this can lead to premature leaf drop and bud development issues. Young trees are most susceptible to BLD, with many saplings dying within one to five years of becoming infected. Mortality of older trees can occur at a slower rate, with lower branches dying first and progressing upwards.

Elm Zigzag Sawfly

The elm zigzag sawfly is an invasive insect native to Asia that has just recently been observed in North America. It was first discovered in Quebec, Canada in 2020 and has since been found in 8 states in the U.S, including Ohio in 2023. The light green larvae will feed on the foliage of various species of native and introduced elm, Ulmus sp. in a back-and-forth zigzag pattern giving them their common name. Due to this pest being new to North America, research is still underway as to how much they impact their host. Trees can often recover from minor defoliation due to small outbreaks, but large outbreaks can cause branch dieback and weaken the trees, leaving them susceptible to other stressors that could lead to death. The potential for large outbreaks must be considered since females also do not need a male to reproduce, and a full lifecycle can occur within a month. This makes them able to produce multiple generations of offspring within a year. If someone suspects they have found this pest in Ohio, they are encouraged to report their sighting to the Ohio Department of Agriculture. 

Invasive Species

Invasive Plants Threaten our Forests Part 1: Invasive Plant Species Identification Purdue University Extension - Forestry & Natural Resources

Invasive Plants Threaten Our Forests Part 2: Control and Management by Purdue University Extension - Forestry & Natural Resources

Urban Forestry Menu.