Purple, three-sided traps resembling a box kite can be seen in ash trees throughout Vermont as part of a surveillance program by federal and state agencies.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture are partnering to survey for emerald ash borer (EAB), a non-native, wood-boring beetle that has killed tens of millions of ash trees in the eastern United States and Canada. The Monteregie region of Quebec Canada is the closest EAB infestation to Vermont’s northern border. To date, EAB has not been detected in Vermont.
These traps will be placed in ash trees in all counties and at high risk sites, such as campgrounds, sawmills, recreational areas, major transportation arteries, etc.
The purple traps are coated with an adhesive that captures the insects when they land and are baited with a lure to attract the pest if it is present. In addition, the color is thought to be attractive to EAB, and is relatively easy for humans to spot among the foliage.
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