---
title: "What Is Emerald ash borer? Stump Grinding Glossary"
description: "Emerald ash borer is a metallic green wood-boring beetle from Asia whose larvae feed under the bark of ash trees and have killed tens of millions of them in..."
url: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/emerald-ash-borer
publisher: Cincinnati Stump Grinding
phone: +1-513-587-6772
quote: https://cincystump.multisites.ai/contact
---

Pests

# Emerald ash borer

Emerald ash borer is a metallic green wood-boring beetle from Asia whose larvae feed under the bark of ash trees and have killed tens of millions of them in North America.

USDA APHIS says the emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive wood-boring beetle from Asia. The adult lays eggs in bark crevices of [ash trees](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/ash-tree). The eggs hatch, and the larvae burrow in and feed. That feeding damages the tree. EAB was first detected in North America in 2002 in southeast Michigan.

APHIS also says damage is hidden under the bark, so the beetle is hard to find early. Adults leave a [D-shaped exit hole](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/d-shaped-exit-hole) when they emerge. Ohio sits near where the beetle was first found, and Hamilton County confirmed it in 2007. The pillar guide on [ash trees, emerald ash borer and stumps](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/guides/ash-trees-emerald-ash-borer-stumps) covers what that means for a yard.

## Related terms

-   [Ash tree](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/ash-tree)
-   [D-shaped exit hole](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/d-shaped-exit-hole)
-   [Bush ash](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/bush-ash)
-   [Invasive plant](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/invasive-plant)
-   [Tree removal](https://cincystump.multisites.ai/glossary/tree-removal)

## Sources

1.  [USDA APHIS: Emerald Ash Borer](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/eab)
2.  [USDA APHIS: Emerald Ash Borer](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/eab)
3.  [OSU BYGL: Ash regrowth in southwest Ohio](https://bygl.osu.edu/node/2166)