Baseball bats made from top-grade North American ash may become a thing of the past unless experts find a way to beat back an invading force from Asia.
The emerald ash borer is an Asian beetle that feeds on ash trees and may drive them to extinction.
The emerald ash borer was first detected in the United States in Michigan in 2002. Since then, it has spread quickly and now threatens ash trees in many areas of North America.
Ash has long been a favored type of wood for making baseball bats – some of the best bats we have used were made of Northern White ash – but if this beetle has its way, things may be changing in the bat-making industry.