Be on the lookout for emerald ash borers in Oregon

Catch up quick: The tiny pest was first detected in Forest Grove in 2022.

• Since then, the infestation has spread to Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas counties, with officials implementing a permanent quarantine on certain wood products from those counties to try and slow the spread.

Threat level: Ash borers burrow into the bark of trees and cut off their ability to transport water up the trunk to the canopy, ultimately killing the tree.

• Experts have said that once they spread across the state, ash borers could wipe out 99% of Oregon's ash trees.

What they're saying: "There's nothing that can stop emerald ash borer from coming through," Wyatt Williams, an invasive species specialist for the Oregon Department of Forestry, told OPB. "We can only slow it down."

Context: Oregon's ash trees serve as decorative and shade trees in urban areas, but also as important species along rivers and other waterways, creating shade and habitat for salmon.

Driving the news: July is the peak month for the insects to emerge, said Kat Bethea, an emerald ash borer specialist with the Oregon Department of Forestry.

• They're tiny — roughly the size of a penny — and have an iridescent green color, making them easy to mistake for other insects.

The bottom line: Bethea said anyone who sees an ash borer, or thinks they have a tree that might be infected, should notify the state immediately, either by calling 1-866-INVADER or reporting it online.

• If possible, capture the insect or take a clear, close-up photo to aid identification.