Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in New York State

Volunteers have been attaching purple ribbons from trees around New York State for the fourth annual Emerald Ash Borer Beetle Awareness Week through May 24.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says the beetle that is native to China has been spreading to 22 states and Quebec in Canada where it has been killing millions of ash trees.

The bug was first spotted in New York in the southwestern corner of the state in 2008.

The larvae feed on the inner bark of the trees blocking the plants ability to absorb water and nutrients.

The loss of the ash trees has even had an impact on America's Past-time since wooded baseball bats are made out of ash.

The volunteers were expected to tie ribbons on over 6,000.