Ash tree worms? What are they?

Question

My neighbour was describing this he said his daughter had an ash tree, and one day she woke up to find 100's of little worms (almost like maggots) covering her driveway it seemed like they were coming form the tree any idea what they were?

Answer 1

Those are baby ash tree borers.  They kill ash trees and spread to all others in the vicinity.  She needs to have the city come out and inspect her tree and all trees in the area.They bore holes in the trees to lay their eggs.

Answer 2

Bug D is correct.  Ash Borers spend their entire "childhood" (worm-like larval stage) under the bark of Ash trees.  When they emerge, they emerge as adults, and fly away to mate and infect other ash trees with their eggs and larvae.

Not sure what you daughter has there - but if she takes some to a local garden center or nursery, they may be able to ID them.

Answer 3

It's unlikely that these are Emerald Ash Borer larvae.  EAB's lay eggs in the bark and the larvae bore into the tree bark where they do their damage.  Most borers exist in a zone from between 3 ft and 10 ft above the ground.  

You may have an infestation of ash galls or some sort of nesting insect unrelated to the Emerald Ash borer, but you don't have that insect.  

There is lots of information on the web about the EAB.  Check it out by googling it.  Don't panic.  

Bug Doc