Faculty/Research < On Topic

A new pest in town

Indiana governor Mitch Daniels is urging Hoosiers to be on the lookout for the Emerald Ash Borer, a threat to the state's millions of ash trees.

Expert perspectives: "It is interesting that some of America's major insect pests were brought here, intentionally or unintentionally, by our own citizens—even scientists," says Marc Lame, who teaches environmental management at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs. "The Africanized Honey Bee (aka, Killer Bee), Red Imported Fire Ant, Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Ladybug), and now the

Emerald Ash Borer are just a few serious pests that flourish here because they have no natural enemies.

"This is a constant reminder that pest management is, indeed, people management. It is extremely important with all invasive species that we, not only inform ourselves regarding quarantine procedures, but also quickly communicate with authorities when we suspect we have observed one.In many ways, insects rule the Earth. Humans just move them around."

The SPEA toolkit: Marc Lame teaches environmental management to undergraduate and graduate students. He is the author of A Worm in the Teacher's Apple: Protecting America's School Children from Pests and Pesticide (Authorhouse, 2005).

For the full text of the news story, click here.

Related links:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/
http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/eab/eab.htm