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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Jackson County for the first time. There are now 53 counties in the state, including Jackson, with EAB. EAB has also been confirmed in a new location in Lake County, expanding the original quarantine area.

In Jackson County, a Soil and Water Conservation District employee discovered an adult EAB in the city of Jackson and submitted the find via the MDA’s Report a Pest service. In Lake County, a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources forester noticed unhealthy ash trees in the city of Silver Bay. When inspecting the trees, they found EAB larvae as well as adult EAB.

EAB 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.

Because this is the first time EAB has been identified in Jackson County, the MDA is enacting an emergency quarantine of the county. In Lake County, since EAB was discovered outside the original quarantine area, the quarantine is being expanded to include townships comprising the southern half of Lake County (See Map). The quarantine limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area.

The MDA issues quarantines for all areas known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.

A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals in Jackson and Lake counties will be held on Wednesday, September 25, 2024, from 10–11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session.

Emerald Ash Borer Virtual Informational Meeting:
September 25, 2024
10–11 a.m.
Register at www.mda.state.mn.us/eab

The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the proposal to add Jackson County’s emergency quarantine and Lake County’s expanded emergency quarantine to the state’s formal quarantine. The MDA is taking comments on the proposed formal quarantine now through October 24, 2024, and recommends adopting the quarantine on October 25, 2024. 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

There is more EAB information on the MDA website.

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Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us