Photograph by Reena Singh

The odd-looking purple "birdhouses" hanging along roadways throughout Page County and the rest of the Shenandoah Valley are not for birds or bats or any other mammal.

The amethyst-hued triangular boxes are actually survey traps for the emerald ash borer, a type of beetle.

The larvae of this 8-millimeter insect have destroyed more than 25 million ash trees throughout the U.S. The damage is done when the larvae tunnel under the bark, creating vein-like "galleries,” according to Sharon Lucik, Public Affairs Specialist for USDA.

"It's an activity that disrupts the circulatory system of the tree," Lucik said.

The physical signs include thin and bare branches for the ash tree.  Water and nutrients cannot get to the top of the tree, which results in a downward deterioration.

"They are extremely damaging to the point of threatening all ash trees," said Bill Whittle, extension agent for Page County.

Inside the trap is a lure covered in natural ash tree oil.  A non-toxic glue covers the outside of the box.  If an unwary adult ash borer gets caught in the glue, the USDA knows that the infestation has reached the area.  The boxes are periodically checked for insects and fresh lures inserted.

Seeing the purple boxes does not mean the emerald ash borer is in the area, according a fact sheet provided by the USDA.  The traps are detection tools that "monitor known EAB infestations and to locate other...

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