A new study has outlined how improved surveillance strategies could work in the UK to protect native ash trees from a voracious new killer: the emerald ash borer. The researchers developed a novel modelling framework that combines the distribution of ash trees in Great Britain with potential invasion pathways of the beetle, its population dynamics and spread to determine the best approaches for early detection.

The team also surveyed landowners and firewood importers to understand their views and likely participation in early-detection surveillance strategies.

The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a native beetle of East Asia that has spread to North America, Russia, and Eastern Europe where it is responsible for the deaths of millions of ash trees. Its early detection in countries where it is not yet present is essential for effective control.