Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

Ash borer on a penny. Photo: Howard Russell, Mich. State U., Bugwood.org.

Emerald Ash Borer found on Bloomington’s doorstep

On August 15, 2012, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture found a new infestation of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) at Fort Snelling Golf Course. EAB has not yet been detected in Bloomington.

People who have been considering chemical treatment of their ash trees and have not yet done so should reevaluate their ash tree treatment plans as this new infestation is less than 2 miles from Bloomington.

MN Department of Agriculture informational handouts

Emerald Ash Borer: Considerations for Homeowners before Selecting a Treatment Strategy (329KB PDF)
Homeowner Guide to Insecticide Selection, Use, and Environmental Protection (848KB, 4-page PDF)

Don't let its size fool you... the Emerald Ash Borer represents an enormous threat.

About the Emerald Ash Borer

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been found in St. Paul and at Fort Snelling Golf Course. What does this mean for Bloomington? The City is working on putting in place a program to deal with this tree disease.

Quarantine in effect

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has implemented a quarantine in Hennepin and Ramsey counties that prohibits the movement of the following items out of Ramsey and Hennepin counties:

Firewood from any hardwood (non-coniferous) species.
- The Firewood Connection (268KB PDF)
Entire ash trees.
Ash limbs and branches.
Ash logs or untreated ash lumber with bark attached.
Uncomposted ash chips and uncomposted ash bark chips larger than 2 inches in diameter.

Information regarding disposal of quarantined ash tree waste can be found at the city's Garbage and yard waste disposal and recycling page.

Seasonal information

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture indicates that the active period for the Emerald Ash Borer is May 1st through August 31st. Any pruning or removal of ash trees, branches or stumps should be avoided during this period as doing this may contribute to the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer disease. If ash tree work must be done for safety and hazardous condition reasons the material removed to include the outer 1 inch of the bark/ wood should be chipped on site or it should be transported in an enclosed vehicle to the nearest facility that can process the material. (only the outer 1 inch of bark/ wood harbors the EAB) A list of those approved disposal sites within the quarantine area are listed on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture web page. Pruning and removal of ash trees/ wood may be conducted from September 1st through April 30th.

Insecticide treatment information

Once EAB arrives in an area, it will remain a constant threat to ash trees for many years to come. If you choose to use an insecticide, it is likely that protective treatments will be needed for the rest of the tree's life. Optimal timing for most treatment methods is mid-April until the end of June.

Emerald Ash Borer: Considerations for Homeowners before Selecting a Treatment Strategy (329KB PDF)
Homeowner Guide to Insecticide Selection, Use, and Environmental Protection (848KB, 4-page PDF)
Prevent the Spread
Park Maintenance Superintendent Paul Edwardson explains why it is critical that work isn't performed on ash trees during the summer.

Do I have Emerald Ash Borer? What does it look like?

The above picture offers a general idea of the Emerald Ash Borer's size and appearance.

The MDA has posted a Web page and several informative PDFs on its website to help identify this pest:

Emerald Ash Borer prevention, early detection and rapid response (Web page)
Ash Tree Identification (544KB PDF)
Native Borers and Emerald Ash Borer look-alike insects (132KB PDF)
Do I have Emerald Ash Borer? (245KB PDF)
Signs and Symptoms of the Emerald Ash Borer (544KB PDF)

City and State response

MDA staff will conduct a thorough survey of trees in the surrounding area to assess the extent of infestation. Information from this survey will help determine the response strategy implemented by state and local officials. The MDA and MN DNR are working closely with the USDA Animal and Plant and Health Inspection Service in the MDA response.
City staff tree inspectors licensed by MDA are prepared to include in our annual city tree inspections the search for EAB in both public and private areas in the City.
The City's goal is to communicate the most current information available from the MDA, to encourage residents not to plant ash trees, to recommend residents take extra care of ash trees they are trying to retain, and assure residents our city tree inspection staff will be including the inspection for, and possible detection of, EAB as we do our annual inspections of trees in the city.
We do not anticipate a major change in how the City deals with ash trees and EAB until such time as the MDA has completed its survey and makes a recommendation on how best to approach this new tree disease.
In the news: Student uses dead beetles to track movement of insect infestation
This article in the Pioneer Press describes the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's plan to use dead beetles to track the movement of emerald ash borers.

Resource links

Photo credit: Howard Russell, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org.

For more information, contact:

Dave Hanson, Assistant Maintenance Superintendent/City Forester
1700 W. 98th Street
PH: 952-563-8760
E-mail: dhanson@ci.bloomington.mn.us