NISAW: Watch for Woodpecker Activity

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) has been detected in new towns in Maine. Watch for woodpecker activity and report trees that have signs of emerald ash borer.

Images: Light patches of missing bark on ash created by woodpecker foraging may reveal signs of emerald ash borer damage. Photos: Maine Forest Service.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive wood-boring beetle that attacks and kills native ash trees (Fraxinus spp.), resulting in significant cultural, ecological, and economic impacts.

In winter, woodpeckers knock off tree bark in search for food, which may help us look for signs of EAB:

• Light patches of missing bark on stems of ash trees
• Dark chips of ash bark littering the snow 
• "S" shaped tunnels underneath the ash bark

Image: An ash tree with light patches of missing bark and dark chips of bark litter the snow - signs that the tree may be infested with invasive EAB. Photo: Oliver Markewicz, Maine Forest Service.

Check for these signs while on a snowshoe track, swooshing down slopes, or even sitting down for a meal at your local Chinese restaurant (it happened!). We are actively monitoring for EAB statewide and could use your help checking ash trees.

Report EAB

Our new 2025 EAB detections dashboard

To better understand where and when EAB has been detected, and see up-to-date EAB quarantine zones, check out our newly constructed EAB Dashboard. 

EAB Dashboard

Learn more with our team at the Maine Forest Service!

• Identify ash trees by watching this 3 minute video with a Maine District Forester, Julie Davenport.
• Scout for signs and symptoms of EAB by watching a 3 minute video with a Maine Entomologist, Colleen Teerling.
• Get answers to FAQ's on EAB for Maine landowners by reading this informational sheet (PDF).
• Reduce the risk of spreading EAB within regulated areas with tips from this Best Management Practices guide (PDF).

Stay informed

Although EAB has caused destruction of ash ecosystems across North America, including here in Maine, there is hope for these trees. In our area, groups like Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik (APCAW) and Sustaining Ash Partners Network (SAP-Ne) are building collaborative efforts towards keeping ash in our forests. Join SAP-Ne to learn how to preserve and propagate ash seed and about efforts towards maintaining the genetic diversity of ash in our region.

• The How-To of Ash Seed Preservation from Collection to Propagation March 6, 2025, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET. Register here.
• New Hampshire State Forest Nursery Field Tour March 20, 2025, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET. Register here.