Iowa officials say the invasive and destructive Emerald Ash Borer has been found at two locations in the state – most recently in Burlington.
That discovery means a quarantine will be issued soon for Des Moines County to try to halt the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer.
The quarantine will prohibit hardwood firewood, ash logs and wood chips from being moved out of the area without a permit. Unknowingly transporting infested firewood, logs and plants can easily spread the Emerald Ash Borer.
Emerald Ash Borer is considered one of the most destructive pests ever seen in North America. The larvae kill ash trees by burrowing under the bark and eating the actively-growing layers of the trees. The Emerald Ash Borer destroys the water and nutrient conducting tissues under the bark, and infested trees often show die back in the canopy first.
Researchers at Iowa State University’s Extension and Outreach said in a July 16, 2013 statement that the Burlington discovery was the second location in Iowa where the Emerald Ash Borer was found. It was previously found on Henderson Island in the Mississippi River near the Minnesota border in 2010.
Environmental officials warn it is probably too late to protect trees against Emerald Ash Borer this year.
Treatments against EAB are too late this year. If you are within 15 miles of Burlington, Iowa, and have a healthy ash tree, preventive treatments can be made mid-April to mid-May 2014,” said ISU Extension and Outreach Entomologist Mark Shour.
The USDA Forest Service estimates there are about 2,700 ash trees planted in Burlington and more than 55 million ash trees in the United States.
