Oak Creek fights its emerald enemy Ash borer can't be stopped,
but it can be strategically slowed Oak Creek - Loss of leaves,
splitting bark, and the death of over a thousand ash trees await
the cities where the emerald ash borer is present. Oak Creek -
along with Milwaukee, Franklin and many others throughout the
Midwest - is one of these cities, all of which have shifted
their fight from preventing the killer beetle's arrival to
offsetting at least some the resulting destruction after it's
found. Meet the unwelcome guest The emerald ash borer is a
metallic green beetle, about half-inch long and one-eighth-inch
wide. Its larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees,
prohibiting the tree's ability to move water and sap throughout
it and eventually killing it. The beetle's typical life span can
range from one to two years. The beetles are 100 percent fatal
to ash trees. Untreated trees hit with the parasite can die
within two to four years of infestation, officials say. Infested
wood transported by people is one