This week has been designated Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week -- a reminder that it is important to be vigilant in slowing the spread of the devastating insect.

Gov. Mitch Daniels has signed a proclamation declaring the week of May 22-28 as a awareness week for the EAB, which has been found in 14 states and which has killed millions ash trees. First discovered in Indiana in 2004, the EAB has been found in 42 Indiana counties, including Porter, Lake and LaPorte.

According to Purdue University EAB expert Jodie Ellis, Hoosiers should maintain continued awareness and diligence in slowing the insect’s spread. One way to do this is for campers to buy all firewood locally and to burn it fully.

To help homeowners, neighborhood associations, and communities identify ash trees and learn how to band together to protect their trees from EAB while negotiating group prices from tree care companies, Purdue created the Neighbors Against Bad Bugs Program (NABB).

NABB events are managed by Purdue Extension and Master Gardeners, and feature community ash tree tagging events that clearly demonstrate where ash trees are while educating residents about their choices to manage them. “One great benefit of NABB is that neighbors learn how to save money and many of their ash trees by negotiating with tree care companies for group pricing. But the most important benefit of NABB is that people learn to act early to save valuable ash trees from unnecessary destruction.”

For information on preventing EAB infestations in healthy ash trees and arranging a NABB tree tagging event, see www.eabindiana.info