Doesn't look like ash borer tunnels to me. From what I have seen and read, EAB seem to bore just single tunnels zig-zagging under the the bark rather than the central tunnel that was done by the adult which laid eggs along the sides of the tunnel. You can see where the adult bored in and then tunneled in both directions. The side tunnels were done by the larvae. At the end of the side tunnels, the larvae pupate and then bore their way out through the bark.
This is what I found for images of EAB tunnels. Looking at the life cycle, the EAB adult doesn't bore through the bark, It lays their eggs on the bark and the larva bores its way in and starts tunneling beneath the bark in a random pattern. You will see images like yours on websites identified as EAB but most are on tree service websites and such, not posted by entomologists.
There are several bark beetles that tunnel like your picture. Many, if not most, attack the tree after it has died or has been cut down.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
There are a couple of images in the link George posted that look like what I saw at the store. I do see a lot of ash here that looks like Nathan's image.
I noticed that many of the photos in George's link came from eastern states. I wonder how much difference region makes in what insects there are.
Half of what we read or hear about finishing is right. We just don’t know which half! — Bob Flexner
Yeah. like I said. each one of those little bastiages has a pre-programmed drawing in it's diseased little mind, and every one of them is the same in that it is a single hole, that opens up into a world of destruction for the tree, always just under the bark so it destroys the trees circulatory system, and it can no longer move food or water along it's length.
Each bugs pattern is totally unique though, think snowflakes, very alike, but always different. Most are rambling ropey looking wandering around looking, but some traverse back and forth just like this one, but it is most certainly emerald ash borer.
Might be someone will pay that price for a single board, up here that price would be laughed at, not because it was funny either. I've seen a lot of tree damage, plenty of dead trees, but if a tree up here did get processed I've not seen where they kept the kill area on the wood. Generally if a single larva went in, and caused a trees death they would just cut it off, and burn it, then use the rest of the Ash. They don't tend to move inside the tree more than 2' of height most of the time, but they do ramble about inside.
At Frank Miller where I buy a lot of hardwoods, they heat their kilns with all the sawdust, and really unusable offcuts that they can't sell. Everything except kill from Emerald ash borer. Not sure if they think they will cause issue, but they do burn it, but it's far away from any of their other stock. I don't know if that is driven by law, or just a thing, but I don't know any lumber milling operations where they display that. I know at the start there were a lot of laws put in place, mostly state laws that controlled interstate movement, and such. I really don't know if they are still being followed? But the burning may be addressed there.
At our old place we had planted a lot of Ash, good sturdy trees, multiple varieties. While we were still there the EAB had started it's move into Northern Ohio. We used a systemic each Spring, and this kept our Ash safe. When we sold, we told the buyers this, and I know he was doing it, because he wanted to know specific product we used. He got sick though, and they ended up selling. Not so sure she passed it along? Anyhow all the Ash are deader than dead can be now. Unless someone pointed out, this is an ASH, protect it by... Probably most peeps just saw a tree. Some scattered ash in the woods around us down here when we first moved in, all dead now. I imagine any yard trees that are Ash, and still alive, are being treated each year with a systemic. Pretty easy, just spray Dinotefuran up the tree about 5 to 6' on the bark, done. It is said to be 100% until the trees get 50" around, then ~~~~~ kinda works. Best in the Spring, and I would do it when rain wasn't in the forecast for a few days.
I think that it is only safe (legal?) to transport ash across state lines if it has been properly kiln dried. Some places that have major infestations of EAB, it may not be legal to transport any ash across even county lines unless it has been properly treated beforehand.
I see that radial pattern quite often under the bark of small logs I pickup for turning blanks and leave on my driveway. Most were green when I collected them and I am pretty sure that the beetles attacked it after I collected it.
--Nathan, TX. Hire the lazy man. He may not do as much work but that's because he will find a better way.
We lost an ash shade tree that covered our deck last year. It made sitting outside pleasant and now you can't sit out there until the sun moves to the other side of the house. It cost me 2k to get it removed.
