Invasive Tree-Eating Insect Spreads to Middle Tennessee

An invasive species of insect that eats through trees has been found in Middle Tennessee for the first time. Federal agriculture officials have confirmed the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer into Smith County, east of Lebanon.

Emerald Ash Borer photo courtesy Tennessee Department of Agriculture

The Emerald Ash Borer originally came from Asia, and has killed millions of trees in Michigan over the last decade. Its larva live under tree bark, etching in long grooves that eventually cut the tree’s flow of nutrients.

In addition to hurting forests as trees fall, the ash borer’s presence is bad for property values. It’s near impossible to kill off, and expensive to contain. State agriculture officials are asking people not to move firewood around the state, for fear campers driving long distances could spread the infestation.

Several counties in the Smokies were already under a firewood and timber quarantine, but the pest’s recent arrival in Smith County marks a major jump west.

Related: Scientists Enlist Insects to Help Protect Ash Trees