At left: Jonathan Carlson of Michigan Technological University scrutinizes one of the 26 purple Emerald Ash Borer traps Wednesday, September 23. The traps were hung throughout downtown St. Ignace and in residential areas in June to locate infestations and test a new blend of ash borer bait. No borers were discovered on the traps. Jonathan Carlson and Anne Collins of Michigan Technological University removed the purple Emerald Ash Borer traps hanging in trees throughout downtown St. Ignace and in residential areas Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23, for further study. The 26 traps were placed as part of a university experiment testing a new insect bait, Mr. Carlson said. The traps, marked with gold cords, were put up in June.

Standard purple traps use a special bait called Manuka oil that attracts ash borers. A blend of Manuka oil and Phoebe oil was applied to the new traps to see if it would draw a greater number of ash borers. Twenty other trees near the traps were girdled to attract more of the tree-destroying insects.

No ash borers were found when the traps were removed. The girdled trees will be cut down in the middle of October, said Brenda Owen, project coordinator of the Mackinac County Slow Ash Mortality Project. They will be stripped of their bark and searched for borer larvae before being destroyed.