The Great EAB Escapade

Getting Ready:

1. Familiarize yourself with the EAB information in the 

Leader’s Folio, to be able to answer questions. 

2. Choose 5 separate spots to serve as imaginary “locations” 

(they can be outside or inside, but should be within sight 

distance of each other): 

Note: you may choose to invite Team Leaders to designate 

their own locations in Activity Step 1; see back page.

 — Forest — Backyard

 — Campground — Neighborhood Park 

 — Fishing area

Gather your group together and tell them: There’s something happening to 

the ash trees in our state. They’re dying! Ash trees are important to both our 

environment and our economy.

A beetle called the Emerald Ash Borer beetle (EAB for short) is killing these trees. It’s called 

“Emerald” because it’s a beautiful metallic green color. But it’s so small that it can fit on a penny 

– so in fact, you probably won’t ever see one. The EAB lays its eggs on the bark of the tree, and 

when the eggs hatch, the larvae eat into the tree. They hide inside the tree where they develop 

and grow, disrupting the systems that transport food and water to the tree and eventually killing it. 

Overview:

Use this activity to introduce your campers/scouts/ 

students to the EAB. You can alert them to the 

EAB’s destructive habits, and how they can take 

action and Stop The Beetle! The activity is fun to 

play outside ... but it can work inside on a 

rainy day, too! “Location Leaders” 

will challenge teams 

with EAB trivia 

questions during 

the activity. 

Primary Objective:

Kids will test their knowledge about the Emerald 

Ash Borer (EAB) beetle. At the conclusion of the 

activity, kids will also discover how the movement 

of firewood may or may not spread the pest and 

therefore, you should never move it.

www.HungryPests.com

Outdoor Activity

Supplies Needed:

• Bundles of sticks, one for each team or 

individual (5 sticks of long and short

lengths per bundle. Be sure the sticks are 

easily distinguishable as long or short; 

quantities of long versus short should vary 

per bundle.) 

• 5 Copies of the EAB Investigator (one per 

“location”), assembled. Circle a different 

question on each Investigator. (This will be 

the question asked at a specific location.)

“Back Story” 

Introducing the Activity

We think the EAB got to the U.S. from Asia by “hitchhiking” 

in shipping materials. It was first detected in Michigan in 2002. 

Now, it has been detected in other States. So we have to 

wonder: How did it get to so many States?

Today, we’ll visit fictional “locations” like the ones we have around our state. These are the types 

of places that may have ash trees that could be destroyed by the beetle. We’re going to learn 

more about ash trees and the EABs that can harm them!

Asia 

U.S.
Closure Message:

Even though they may not realize it, people are 

moving the beetle by moving firewood. If you move 

infested firewood to a new location, you can cause 

that location to become infested and ash trees will die. 

Since you can’t tell if firewood is infested, the simple 

rule is to never move it.

Bottom Line: Stop the Beetle . . . Now!

Everyone shouts: Don’t Move Firewood!

Extra copies of the EAB Investigator 

may be downloaded FREE at 

www.HungryPests.com

www.HungryPests.com

Activity Steps 

1. Choose five kids to serve as Location Leaders, one 

for each fictional location. Give each Leader an 

assembled EAB Investigator (be sure a question 

is circled), and have him/her go to their “location.” 

2. Divide the remaining kids into teams of two or 

three (or, kids can work individually). 

3. Give each team (or individual) a bundle of five 

(long and short) sticks.

4. As fast as they can, each team must go to each 

“location.” (Encourage them to start in different 

directions, to avoid “crowding” in the closest 

location.) Once there, the Location Leader will pose 

his/her circled question from the EAB Investigator. 

If answered correctly: The team (or individual) will 

leave any stick from their bundle at the location, 

and move on to another location. 

If answered incorrectly: The team/individual can 

move on, but they can’t leave a stick. 

5. The winning team (or individual) is the first to visit 

every location and have no sticks (or the fewest 

number) left. 

Wrap-Up

Once all teams have returned to the starting point, 

explain to them that sticks they were carrying were 

“firewood.” The long sticks represented EAB-infested 

firewood, while the short sticks were healthy logs. 

Where did the EAB firewood end up?

Walk with the group back to each location, and see 

how much EAB firewood was left behind. Ask the 

group:

• Which locations had firewood moved to them? 

(probably, all of them)

• Could you tell whether the firewood had the EAB 

hidden inside? (NO!!)

• What do you think will happen to the ash trees in 

the locations if the firewood is infested with the 

EAB? (The trees in the area will become infested 

with the EAB)

• Who put the infested firewood in the location?

(The kids did ... but they didn’t know which 

firewood was infested!)

• What does this tell you about how the EAB has 

moved from state to state? (People helped the 

beetle move, by moving firewood from one place 

to another. Just as the kids didn’t know which sticks 

may be infested with EAB larvae, people can’t tell if 

actual firewood may have EAB larvae in it.)

DON’T MOVE

FIRE W OOD