They're here!  The spread of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle has reached the Southern Tier and Central New York.

Environmentalists say the bugs that have been destroying Ash trees in the Northeast were found in Unadilla and Syracuse last month.

Cornell Cooperative Extension says that means the Ash Borer is probably already in Broome and surrounding counties.

Landowners can either cut down their Ash trees to stop the spread, or have insecticides injected into the trees.

It's estimated that the beetle could kill 10% of the trees in forested areas over the next couple of decades if allowed to progress unchecked.

A few years ago, New York State put into place a ban on moving wood more than 50 miles from where it was felled in an effort to stop or at least slow the spread of the infestation.

More information on the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle can be found at the N.Y. D.E.C. website at www.ny.dec.gov.

 

 

More From WNBF News Radio 1290 AM & 92.1 FM