The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Nicollet and Redwood counties for the first time. Thirty counties in the state now have EAB.
An MDA employee was surveying for EAB near reported infestations in Brown County when he noticed ash trees with signs of EAB at Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Park Campground in Sanborn, Redwood County, and across the Minnesota River from New Ulm in Lafayette Township, Nicollet County. Both sites are less than 10 miles from previously confirmed EAB infestations. MDA staff were able to find live EAB larvae and collect samples for federal identification.
Emerald ash borer 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, the EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.
Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Nicollet and Redwood counties, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is enacting emergency quarantines to limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the counties. The MDA issues quarantines for all counties known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.
Virtual informational meetings for residents and tree care professionals will be held on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.
Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meetings
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
10-11 a.m. or 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab
The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Nicollet and Redwood counties to the state formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through January 6, 2022, and recommends adopting the quarantine on January 10, 2022. The quarantine limits the movement of ash trees and limbs and hardwood firewood out of the counties. The proposed quarantine language can be found at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:
Kimberly Thielen Cremers
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Kimberly.TCremers@state.mn.us
EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009.
There is more EAB information on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab.
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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us
