Native to Asia, the emerald ash borer (EAB) was accidentally introduced into North America in the 1990s, probably by importing contaminated hardwoods, such pallets or crates. As this beetle has no specific predator in our part of the world, its infestation flourishes unhindered. The EAB has already caused the death of millions of ash trees in Ontario and the United States and constitutes a significant environmental and economic threat for urban and forested areas in North America.
The emerald ash borer was observed for the first time in North America in 2002, in the state of Michigan, U.S.A. In Quebec, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of the EAB in Carignan in 2008, then in the cities of Gatineau and Montreal (2011), Longueuil (2012) and Brossard (2013).