Emerald Ash Borer Update

MDA survey finds 59 St. Paul trees infested with emerald ash borer

A multi-agency survey found 59 trees infested with emerald ash borer in and around the St. Anthony Park neighborhood where the pest was first discovered in May.  All 59 trees are within a half mile of the first infestation site.  Crews have already removed the 59 trees.  Read the recent news release.

Monitoring efforts using purple cardboard traps and “trap trees” is underway.

Homeowners are asked to join the effort by watching their ash trees for signs of infestation. These signs include:

• dieback of leaves in the upper third of the tree’s branches
• heavy woodpecker activity
• D-shaped exit holes in the bark
• S-shaped tunnels under the bark
• water shoots on the trunk

Think you might have it?

If you think you might have Emerald Ash Borer use his checklist(pdf) to determine if you should get in touch with an EAB First Detector.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Quarantine

On May 15th, 2009 the quarantine (previously applied to Houston) added Ramsey and Hennepin counties to prevent the spread of Emerald Ash Borer to new areas through the movement of infested wood and tree parts.  Besides applying to all ash tree parts, the regulations apply to all non-coniferous firewood.  Read more about the quarantine(pdf).

Don’t remove your healthy ash trees

MDA reminds homeowners that it is not necessary to remove healthy ash trees. Homeowners with questions about disposing of ash tree material should contact their city forester for guidance. Improper disposal of infested ash material could accelerate the spread of EAB.

What does EAB mean for the woodland owner?

Should you try to harvest your ash as quickly as possible? How should you manage your forest? Should you just let nature take its course? There are no simple answers to such questions, but the Michigan State University Extension put together a helpful publication to help woodland owners prepare for EAB.

For more information

University of Minnesota Emerald Ash Borer Page

Minnesota Department of Agriculture Emerald Ash Borer Site

Information for homeowners from emeraldashborer.info

Emerald ash borer discovered in St Paul, MN

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has announced that EAB has been discovered in St Paul, Minnesota.  There’s a news conference at 3:30 today at Hampden Park in St Paul.  (via @mnagriculture on Twitter).  We’ll provide updates as we’re able.

Extension’s EAB page has links to help Minnesota landowners and citizens prepare for EAB.

Update: MDA has a press release on the Minnesota EAB discovery here.

More about Emerald Ash Borer:

• EAB and the future of the Minnesota woods
• EAB prevention, detection, and rapid response
• Emeraldashborer.info
• EAB: Invader at our doorsteps. 6-minute video by MDA.
• Do I have Emerald Ash Borer? (PDF)
• Ash Tree ID (PDF)
• Native borers & look-alikes (PDF)
• EAB Signs & Symptoms (PDF)
• A Reference for Recognizing Insect Galleries in EAB Detection Trees in Minnesota (PDF: 3MB)
• Link to an August 2008 video news release about EAB

EAB discovered in Wisconsin, a mile from Minnesota

The following information was sent out by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) on April 7.  We’re developing information to help Minnesota woodland owners plan for the expected widespread ash mortality. Meantime, see the many links below and post your thoughts here or on the discussion board.

Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been discovered in Victory, Wisconsin. Victory is approximately 1 mile south of the Minnesota border along the Mississippi River.

This discovery was made only last week and confirmation was made on Monday, April 6. The Wisconsin Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources have released the news of this find today, April 7. Although Wisconsin has not had much opportunity to evaluate the scale of this infestation, their initial assessment was that this was a significant infestation.

Due to the proximity of this infestation to Minnesota and Iowa, it is possible that the infestation extends into one or both states. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, along with our partners at the Department of Natural Resources, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine and USDA Forest Service are already investigating the southeastern portion of Houston County to determine if the infestation extends into Minnesota. We expect these initial surveys to last up to four weeks. If emerald ash borer is found in Minnesota, we will activate our EAB Response Plan (PDF).

Whether or not this initial round of survey discovers EAB in Minnesota, we will be intensifying survey and outreach efforts in southeastern Minnesota during 2009.

The complete press release that is being issued in Minnesota is here. Some key points to remember about the situation are:

1. EAB has not yet been found in Minnesota, but state and federal authorities are investigating the area.
2. No quarantines have been established in Minnesota. A federal quarantine will be imposed in Wisconsin on the infested area.
3. At this time we are asking the public to voluntarily not move ash wood out of Houston County. A quarantine could be placed on Houston County by Minnesota Department of Agriculture in the coming weeks.
4. For Minnesota beyond Houston County the situation has not changed. People should be vigilant as to the condition of their trees and report suspected infestations to MDA. Movement of untreated firewood over long distances should be avoided in any part of the state.

If you have questions, please direct them to MDA’s Arrest the Pest hotline.

“Arrest the Pest” Hotline:  651-201-6684 – Metro Area or 1-888-545-6684 – Greater Minnesota. Or email Arrest.The.Pest@state.mn.us.

Watch MDA’s new 6-minute video on EAB:

More about Emerald Ash Borer:

• New: Get involved!  EAB first detector training: Winona, MN April 28, 2009.
• EAB and the future of the Minnesota woods
• EAB prevention, detection, and rapid response
• Emeraldashborer.info
• EAB: Invader at our doorsteps. 6-minute video by MDA.
  
• Do I have Emerald Ash Borer? (PDF)
• Ash Tree ID (PDF)
• Native borers & look-alikes (PDF)
• EAB Signs & Symptoms (PDF)
• A Reference for Recognizing Insect Galleries in EAB Detection Trees in Minnesota (PDF: 3MB)
• Link to an August 2008 video news release about EAB