Emerald ash borer found in Stearns County

(Much of the following information was taken from an April 2, 2019 news release from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture)

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced yesterday (April 2) that emerald ash

EAB larvae and galleries like
this were used to ID the new
infestation in Sauk Centre.
Photo: Jeff Hahn, UMN Ext

borer (EAB) has been found for the first time in Stearns County in city of Sauk Centre. City workers discovered several trees showing symptoms of EAB damage and alerted MDA. MDA examined the trees, collected larvae and were able to confirm the presence of EAB.

An emergency quarantine has been enacted to reduce the risk of further spreading this invasive insect. First found in Minnesota in 2009, Stearns County is now the 18th county in Minnesota to have found this invasive insect pest. Nationally, EAB was discovered in 2002 and is now found in 35 states as well as five Canadian provinces.

The closest known infestation to Sauk Centre is Clearwater (EAB was found for the first time in September, 2018), about 50 miles away. On their own, EAB can only travel a mile or two each year. For EAB to reach Clearwater, it undoubtedly was transported in infested ash wood, like firewood.

Slow the spread of EAB

Minnesotans can help prevent the spread of EAB with these three easy steps:

• Don’t transport firewood. Buy firewood locally from approved vendors, and burn it where you buy it;
• Be aware of the quarantine restrictions. If you live in a quarantined county, be aware of the restrictions on movement of products such as ash trees, wood chips, and firewood; and,
• Watch your ash trees for infestation. If you think your ash tree is infested, go to www.mda.state.mn.us/eab and use the “Does My Tree Have Emerald Ash Borer?” guide. Suspect infestations can be reported to MDA’s Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us.

The original MDA news release can be found here.

For more information on EAB, see the University of Minnesota Extension publication, Emerald ash borer in Minnesota.

New video on how to ID Emerald ash borer

For information on how to detect EAB in the ash trees in your yard, watch this new Extension video guide. 

Author: Jeff Hahn