Ash borer evidence found across Ottawa

The emerald ash borer, an invasive wood-boring beetle first discovered in the city three years ago, has spread from Orleans all the way to Kanata, city officials confirmed.

The city's forestry branch confirmed Tuesday the ash borer has moved from the city's east end to the west end based on an August aerial survey of the city's forest cover.

David Barkley, the city's manager of forestry services said they have confirmed a "linked spread" of ash borer evidence across the city, as former pockets of signs of the borer are now connecting.

The invasive pest was first discovered in Ottawa in the St. Laurent Boulevard and Highway 417 area and then spread to east-end neighbourhoods like Beacon Hill-Cyrville and Rideau-Rockcliffe.

The Ash Borer is a highly destructive beetle that feeds on the bark of ash trees. It was first noticed in North America in 2002 and has killed millions of trees in Ontario and the United States. Trees infested with the beetle's larvae can lose half their branches within a year and usually die within two to three years.

While the ash borer only attacks ash trees, ash make up about a quarter of the forest cover in the city. The city has removed close to 3,000 ash trees and is trying to save others by injecting a special insecticide called TreeAzin.

The treatment is costly, however, and may not be a practical solution for the 75,000 ash trees on city property and the many more on private property.