 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE EMERALD ASH BORER
 What is the emerald ash borer?
As described by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the emerald ash borer (EAB) is a very small beetle that is destructive to all ash trees, including northern white ash that for decades has been the wood of choice for professional grade baseball bats. Metallic green in color, the EAB measures ½ inch long and 1/8 inch wide. The average adult emerald ash borer fits easily on a penny.
EAB is native to China and eastern Asia. It is believed to have arrived in North America hidden in wood packing materials commonly used to ship consumer goods. While no one can say for certain when the EAB arrived in the U.S., it was first discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002. However, it is believed that the beetle may have actually arrived in the U.S. up to 12 years earlier.
Currently, EAB is responsible for the death and decline of more tens of millions of ash trees in the United States. EAB has also been discovered in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and parts of Canada
What effect or impact does EAB have on the baseball bat industry and MLB players?
At this point there has been no impact on the bat industry or MLB. The insect has not reached the area along the Pennsylvania/New York border where Louisville Slugger harvests trees to make baseball bats. However, there is reason for serious concern. The EAB was discovered in western Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007. At the current rate of progression, the insect very well could impact the forests where timber for bats comes from within a few years, if not sooner.
Louisville Slugger’s timber division is working closely with the USDA and the state department of agriculture in Pennsylvania and other states to monitor the situation as these government agencies try to stop the emerald ash borers spread.
What if the EAB cannot be stopped and the ash trees used to make Major League Baseball bats are all destroyed?
Louisville Slugger is confident that it will find alternative sources of timber for MLB bats in the event the worst case scenario would become reality, i.e., the destruction of northern white ash trees in the Pennsylvania/New York border area.
Our company is always looking at other species of wood for potentially making baseball bats. This is something we have done for many years and will continue to do so. In addition to ash, we make bats from maple and have also manufactured some in recent years from beech. Hickory and oak were also used 70-80 years ago, but were found to not be conducive to making baseball bats. Other species of wood are being studied and tested for possible use in baseball bats.
What can the public do to help stop the spread of the EAB?
Quite simply, DON’T MOVE FIREWOOD! People unknowingly contribute to the spread of EAB when they move firewood. EAB larvae can survive underneath the bark of firewood, and when it's moved from one place to another, EAB can hitchhike to a new location....perhaps your family cottage, a favorite campground, or lakefront park. Please help stop the spread of EAB - leave your firewood at home! Buy it at your destination. When you do that, you help keep North America's trees healthy and safe and ensure ash bats will be a part of the game of baseball for many years to come.
Click on the thumbnails below to see a larger image of the Emerald Ash Borer.
©Hillerich & Bradsby Co. 2007
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