DETROIT -- The emerald ash borer has killed half of the state's ash trees and now the tiny green insect has reportedly drawn the attention of foresters and Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

Stabenow was scheduled to hold a press conference Monday to talk about ways to combat the bug. Half of the state's ash trees are dead and the rest are expected to die in three to four years if something isn't done to stop it, Local 4 reported.

"I have requested from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that dollars be given for research," Stabenow said. "Right now we don't know how to prevent this in the future, how to stop it, other than to cut down trees. Which is not a good long-term solution. "

Six Michigan counties are under state quarantine, which means that no ash trees or firewood are supposed to leave the infected area. The quarantine affects the following counties: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, Livingston, and Monroe.

The borer was first identified last summer in Michigan and is native to Asia. It most likely entered the United States 10 years ago through packing material, the station reported. The bug reportedly bores into the tree, cutting off its water supply, and killing it from the top down.

The borer has no natural enemies and the state is trying to develop a pesticide. Each infected tree will have to be chopped down and grinded up into pieces smaller than 1-inch in diameter to kill the bug.

Cost estimates to rid the bug run in the billions of dollars. Ann Arbor alone will spend $7 million, Local 4 reported.

Michigan reportedly has 700 million ash trees. A state survey shows that in 650,000 of the ash trees and 11 million landscape trees, 49 percent are affected and most likely will die.

To spot the infestation, look at the trunk of your tree and if there are vertical bark cracks, and D-shaped holes, you have the emerald ash borer, Local 4 reported.

Michigan State University researcher David Roberts has been tracking the decline of ash trees in southeast Michigan. He has chronicled the saga online, and provides information on protecting trees that can be accessed by clicking here.