Asian Wasp Released to Combat Emerald Ash Borer

[Jay106n]

National:
http://www.theguardian.com/environm...ses-millions-of-wasps-to-fight-ash-tree-borer

Local Paper:
(broken link removed to http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2016/06/05/news/local/961572.txt)

Its nice to see something in the works to help combat the ash borer, but releasing another foreign insect seems dangerous.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Hopefully, it doesn't wipe out other species that lay eggs....which is all insects. lol

 

[bholler]

Fighting one invasive species with another is bound to have adverse effects. I would love to see the eab stopped but I see this strategy as a very risky one.

 

[AmbDrvr253]

Fighting one invasive species with another is bound to have adverse effects. I would love to see the eab stopped but I see this strategy as a very risky one.

What he said!

 

[blades]

Too little too late

 

[iamlucky13]

Fighting one invasive species with another is bound to have adverse effects. I would love to see the eab stopped but I see this strategy as a very risky one.

Not all non-native species are invasive. They qualify as invasive if they either crowd out competition, overwhelm their ecological niche, etc.. Honeybees are non-native, but nobody worries about them because they don't spread unchecked or wipe out native species. There's got to be thousands of non-native species we've introduced to North America, ranging from horses to daffodils.

So the question is which are these wasps? Fortunately, the USDA isn't just throwing ideas at the EAB problem to see what sticks. They've been studying several natural predators for years. That included a series of laboratory tests to see what other species the wasps might attack. I went looking for information and found the environmental analysis they had to file before releasing any of the wasps, and it seems they only attack wood boring insects, and most of the wasps they're considering don't even attack other wood borers...only EAB. Of the non-EAB borers that some of the wasps they're considering attack, if given a choice, they strongly prefer EAB.

I also found this info sheet which seemed worth reading.
(broken link removed to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/plant_pest_info/emerald_ash_b/downloads/eab-biocontrol.pdf)

I'm not necessarily promoting the project, and I don't suppose the USDA can absolutely rule out the risk of the wasps spreading out of control, but this is quite different from how EAB and other invasive species were originally introduced, with no regard for risk of populations getting out of control. I just don't want a potentially good solution rejected out of hand, especially considering how clear and major the damage caused by EAB is, versus what seems like small remaining concerns with these wasps.

 

[iron]

reminds me of this classic simpsons episode

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[Jay106n]

reminds me of this classic simpsons episode

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Yeah, kinda where I was going with this. Didn't know The Simpsons beat me to it lol

 

[TedyOH]

It all comes down to the almighty dollar - they are estimating they've lost 1 billion in ash lumber already.