SUPER BOWL IN 2018 AND THE
FINAL FOUR IN 2019.
SCIENTISTS IN MINNESOTA
BELIEVE THEY HAVE FOUND AN
INSECT THAT CAN DO WHAT THEY
HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO VERY
WELL, GET RID OF THE EMERALD
ASH BORER.
THIS AFTERNOON EXPERTS FROM THE
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
EXTENSION AND AGRICULTURAL
DEPARTMENT SHOWCASE A RATHER
UNIQUE WASP.
SCIENTISTS THINK IT CAN HELP
THEM DESTROY THE EMERALD ASH
BORER BEFORE THE INVASIVE
INSECT KILLS TREES.
ANGELA DAVIS EXPLAINS.
Reporter: NOT ALL INSECTS
ARE CREATED EQUAL.
SOME LIKE THIS WASP CAN BE USED
AS WEAPONS BUT GET THIS, IT
DOESN'T STING HUMANS.
KNOWING THAT THE WASPS DON'T
HURT PEOPLE IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
THEY ARE HARMLESS.
THEY DON'T STING PEOPLE.
THEY ONLY PERILIZE THEIR PREY
SO THEY ONLY USE THE STING GER
FOR THEIR PREY.
THIS WASP BUILDS NESTS IN
THE GROUND AND THEN SETS OUT TO
GET THE EMERALD ASH BORER TO
FEED ITS YOUNG.
THIS WASP LIKES HARD PACKED
SANDY SOIL AND THAT IS WHY THEY
BUILD THEIR NESTS AT BASEBALL
FIELDS TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE
DRAGGING INTO THEIR HOLES,
SCIENTISTS WILL BE ABLE TO FIND
THE EMERALD ASH BORER BEFORE IT
DESTROYS TREES.
WE SEE IF THEY ARE CARRY AG
BEETLE THEY HUNTED AND WE
CAPTURE THE BEETLE FROM THEM.
THEY USUALLY DROP IT IN THE NET
AND WE CAN SEE IF THAT IS
EMERALD ASH BORER.
THEY ENLISTED 100 VOLUNTEERS
TO SHOW THE WASP COLONIES.
THE A IT'S DAVID SWEAT LIVE
THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO SEE SO
EARLY DETECTION IS DIFFICULT.
YOU ONLY SEE THE SYMPTOMS UNTIL
IT IS FOUR OR FIVE YEARS INTO
THE INFESTATION.
SEVERAL STATES HAVE SEEN
SUCCESS WITH THEIR VOLUNTEER
WASP WATCHER PROGRAMS.
IT HAS HELPED THEM FIND THE
EMERALD ASH BORER BEFORE THEY
GET IN THE TREES AND START
SHOWING SYMPTOMS OF BEING
INFECT THE.
OUR STATE IS STILL LOOKING FOR
MORE VOLUNTEERS TO LOCATE THE
WAS UP COLONIES ON THE BASEBALL
FIELDS AND LOCATE THEM.
YOU CAN GET OUT THERE, TAKE
PICTURES AND REPORT IT TO THE
STATE.
THAT IS AMAZING.
THEY ARE NEEDED BECAUSE WE LOST
HUNDREDS OF ASH TREES TO THE
EMERALD ASH BORER.
HEALTHY TREES.
IT IS SAD WHEN YOU SEE THOSE
MATURE TREES LEAVE.
IT WAS FIRST DETECTED IN OUR
STATE IN 2009.
