New Insect Pest Invading Howard County, Area

Had enough of stink bugs yet? The emerald ash borer is on its way, Baltimore Sun reported.

Native to Asia, this destructive insect poses a threat to ash trees, which make up about 10 percent of the local tree population.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, the emerald ash borer first appeared in Michigan in 2002. The insect is now found in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Maryland and most recently Pennsylvania.

Since appearing in Southern Maryland a few years ago, the emerald ash borer has been creeping toward Baltimore. The Sun reports that the big has been detected in three Howard County locations.

On Tuesday, the Maryland Department of Agriculture expanded a quarantine that prohibits the transport of ash and hardwood out of Howard, Prince George's and Charles County.

The good news is that the emerald ash borer is pretty, and can be controlled by a parasitic wasp.

Let's hope we won't need tarantulas to control the parasitic wasps.