Emerald Ash Borer
What is the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)?
EAB is an insect that attacks and kills only ash trees. (not mountain ash) It is a small iridescent green beetle that lives outside of the tree in the summer, but the larvae are grubs that tunnel under the tree's bark.
It has killed millions of ash trees, costing tens of millions of dollars, causing some State governments and the USDA to regulate movement of the wood. EAB, which probably came from Asia, was discovered in the Detroit area in 2002, spread to Ohio in 2003, Indiana in 2004, Illinois and Maryland in 2006, Pennsylvania and West Virginia in 2007, and Wisconsin and Missouri in 2008.
The bug has now spread to Minnesota. Everyone must help postpone or control the spread.
- Do not transport ash firewood into or out of Minnesota.
- Don’t buy firewood from outside Minnesota.
- Monitor your trees.
- Anytime you purchase firewood, know where that wood came from.
The City’s Tourist Park Campground requires that campers only burn wood that is has the MDA Certified label or purchase MDA Certified wood sold at the campground.
The City of Thief River Falls has approximately 4,000 trees that are on public land - 890 are Ash. In addition, there are many ash trees on private property.
Residents should use caution in moving any firewood or plant material from outside a 100-mile area, and know its origin. The natural progression of the Emerald Ash Borer is less than 3 miles a year but can move great distances on transported firewood and nursery stock.
When buying an ash tree, if the seller can’t verify its origin, it is strongly recommended that you do not purchase the tree. The City of Thief River Falls has scaled back on the number of the Ash trees planted in light of the Emerald Ash Borer.
When selecting trees or shrubs, remember we need plants that are Zone 3 hardy or lower. Some of the species of trees we are looking to replace the Ash are: Bur Oak, Lindens (both American and Little Leaf), Hackberry, some Maple, and some new variety of Elm such as Discovery.
We would like to develop more diversity in our species of trees for our urban forest. Therefore, if there is a problem in one species of trees, diversity will better help us manage our urban forest.
For more information and details on EAB, go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s webpage or University of Minnesota Extension Office webpage.
The following links are from the website emeraldashborer.info. See credits below.
Identify the Bug
EAB Information & National Map
Collection, Storage, and Germination of Seeds
emeraldashborer.info - This Web site is a collaborative effort of the USDA Forest Service, the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service(APHIS) as well as Michigan State University, Purdue University and Ohio State University to provide comprehensive, accurate and timely information on the emerald ash borer to the site's visitors. Creation of the site comes from the support of the USDA Forest Service and MDA, and is administered through MSU.
