Emerald ash borer found in Washington County; quarantine now in effect
The tiny green beetle responsible for killing ash trees in several Midwest states has now been detected in Washington County, not far from Wisconsin's first confirmed case of emerald ash borer in neighboring Ozaukee County.
Three adult emerald ash borers were found in Fireman's Park in the village of Newburg, near the private woodlot in Ozaukee County in the town of Saukville where the first ash borers were found.
"The location is very close to Wisconsin's first confirmed case of EAB, and several ash trees in Fireman's Park have the tell-tale signs of EAB infestation," said Jennifer Statz, EAB program manager with the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
The adult emerald ash borer is a metallic green insect about one-half inch long and one-eighth inch wide. The adults lay eggs deep in the crevices of ash tree bark. The larvae hatching from the eggs eat their way through the fluid-conducting vessels under the tree's bark, essentially cutting off the flow of nutrients in the tree, leading to the decline and eventual death of the tree.
EAB is native to Asia and is believed to have arrived in North America in the 1990s via shipping containers.
As part of the state and federal response to the Wisconsin infestation, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Natural Resources, the University of Wisconsin and UW-Extension, the USDA and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as county and municipal governments, will survey the area surrounding the known infestations in an effort to determine the extent of the beetle's presence in southeast Wisconsin. Recommending a management strategy will follow when the survey is complete.
The two counties where emerald ash borer has been confirmed, along with two additional neighboring counties, have been placed under quarantine in an effort to help prevent the human-aided spread of EAB. The quarantine includes all of Ozaukee, Washington, Fond du Lac and Sheboygan counties.
The purpose of the quarantine is to limit the artificial spread of emerald ash borers which may be present in ash nursery stock, hardwood firewood, timber or other articles that could spread EAB into other areas of Wisconsin or other states. The quarantine will affect plant nurseries, firewood dealers, lumber mills, arborists, pallet manufacturers and homeowners within the four-county area.
"Establishing this quarantine is an important first-step to combat EAB," explained Bob Dahl, plant protection section chief with the agriculture department. "EAB can travel only so far on its own, but the beetle can travel great distances if it is unknowingly transported inside logs, mulch or firewood."
Although the presence of the emerald ash border has so far only been confirmed in Ozaukee and Washington counties, the neighboring counties were added because of their proximity to the known locations of EAB and to address some practical issues related to the handling of wood waste from those two counties.
Nurseries in quarantined counties will not be able to move ash nursery stock to non-quarantined counties or states because there is currently no way to treat the trees with 100 percent guaranteed success.
Violating the quarantine is a criminal action and may result in a fine of up to $200, six months in jail, or both. If regulated materials cross the state line, federal penalties begin at $1,000.
Lumber mills, firewood dealers and pallet manufacturers will be required to follow approved handling methods to prevent the spread of EAB on wood items. This might include debarking, fumigation, kiln-drying or other approved procedures. In addition, the department will inspect and certify the products to be free of EAB before the wood products could move out of the quarantined area.
Information about the signs and symptoms of EAB infestation, including the characteristics of an infested tree, can be found at the Wisconsin EAB Program Web site at www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov.
Report suspicious ash trees or request information by calling the Wisconsin EAB Program hotline toll-free at 1-800-462-2803.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The emerald ash borer, found in Ozaukee County earlier this week, has now been discovered in neighboring Washinton County.
