A half-inch long beetle has the potential to take out entire forests in North Carolina. The emerald ash borer, first found in North Carolina in 2012, has spread to nearly every corner of the state and is threatening the existence of the state's ash tree.
The non-native beetle was likely brought into North Carolina through commerce. It buries its larva inside wood paneling, which is used in international trade to ship products across the world.
"Ash trees are literally falling," said Steve Hall, a biologist with the North Carolina Biodiversity Project who on Tuesday surveyed a forest in Durham infested with the borer.
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