The Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed last week that the emerald ash borer has been found in the city of Wadena. It is the first time the emerald ash borer has been reported in Wadena County, where a tree-care company submitted the finding, according to a report from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
Wadena was one of several other areas in the state to be confirmed Monday for emerald ash borer, including new areas of Carlton County, and for the first time in Meeker, Murray and Otter Tail counties. In Otter Tail County, emerald ash borer was confirmed in Deer Creek. There are now 58 counties in the state with emerald ash borer.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is enacting emergency quarantines in Carlton, Meeker, Murray, Otter Tail and Wadena counties. All of Carlton County, excluding the Fond du Lac Reservation, will be quarantined. The entire counties of Meeker, Murray, Otter Tail and Wadena will be quarantined. The quarantines limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture issues quarantines for all areas known to have emerald ash borer (EAB) to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.
Emerald ash borer was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Emerald Ash Borer gallery and exit hole.
A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals will take place from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on July 8. Experts from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Find more information on the MDA website.
The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the emergency quarantines before the quarantines become formal. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is taking comments on the emergency quarantine now through Aug. 8, and recommends adopting the quarantine on Aug. 11. The proposed quarantine language can be found on the MDA website.
Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting Mark Abrahamson, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, 625 Robert St. N, St. Paul, MN 55155; or by email at mark.abrahamson@state.mn.us.
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