On October 18th the Illinois Department of Agriculture conducted a demonstration on the emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) in St. Charles, Illinois. The IDA taught us how to strip bark from the ash tree and tell whether they are infested by the EAB. The trees were cut down in a local subdivision. I met representatives from U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. There was also a team from the USDA researching ways to thwart the EAB infestation. It was obvious each person was dedicated to protecting Illinois from the EAB. However, they are under-funded and under-staffed. I believe there is a way for the home owner to protect his ash trees against the EAB, make sure his ash trees are healthy. The EAB will only infest a stressed ash tree.