For this edition of Going Green, our Terry Ettinger reports about the tiny beetle that is killing ash trees throughout New York State.

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STATEWIDE-- The tiny beetle that kills ash trees continues to spread around New York.

“It has been found in a couple of new counties. One of them is just south of Albany and the other one is in Tioga. Those were discovered this past summer,” said Dr. Melissa Fierke, SUNY-ESF.

The quarantined area has expanded, adding 22 counties. Some people are worried instead of slowing the spread of the beetle it might have the opposite effect.

“I mean if you could just envision an invested ash tree being cut, put on a truck and then moved across the state, say from Randolph, New York in Cattaraugus County, up to a processing facility in Albany. If that happens during the flight season in mid-May or late May or early June, then as that truck moves from that county all the way up to Albany, those emerald ash borer adults can be dispersing of out that truck,” said Fierke.

The adult emerald ash borer emerge in the spring and summer, mate and then the female begin laying their eggs in ash trees in the fall; that’s called the ‘flight season.’

Ash tree owners can help by scheduling any harvesting outside of the flight season.

“If they’re planning a harvest on their property just make sure that the timber doesn’t come down and isn’t moved during that flight season,” said Fierke.

Plus the ban on moving ash firewood more than 50 miles stays in place even in the quarantine area.