Presence of Emerald Ash Borer confirmed in Iowa

Mar 25, 2015

Pest was discovered in Clinton County

The presence of one of the most destructive tree pests in Clinton County, Iowa, has people in the Hawkeye State scrambling for answers and preventative measures to stop the pest from spreading.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been identified in Clinton County, Iowa, making it the 20^th county in the state to confirm its existence.

Clinton County joins Keokuk County, Appanoose, Lucas, and Marion counties among the others infested with the pest.

The discovery in Clinton was made after a tree showed signs of a woodpecker. A branch from the tree was removed and larvae were found inside.

Symptoms of trees infested with EAB include bark splitting, D-shaped exit holes, snake-like tunnels, and increased woodpecker activity because woodpeckers feed on the larvae.

“Clinton unfortunately is another sizable city along the Mississippi River that has fallen victim to EAB,” said Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardships EAB and Gypsy Moth Coordinator. “This find came during the dormant part of the year when woodpecker activity is often detected. This Clinton discovery is not too far from a previous finding in Morrison, Illinois.”

Since February 4, 2014, the entire state has been under a quarantine restricting the movement of firewood, ash logs, wood chips and ash tree nursery stock.

“We still strongly urge Iowans to not move firewood long distances,” said State Entomologist Robin Pruisner of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. “A large portion of Iowa is not showing signs of EAB infestation; let’s keep those areas EAB-free as long as possible be not moving wood that potentially harbors EAB or other tree pests. Be vigilant, report suspicious symptoms in counties that are not yet known to be infested to a member of the Iowa EAB Team.”

A window to take preventative measures will start in mid-April. Some of the measures include trunk injections, soil drenching and basal trunk sprays.

The USDA’s Forest Service estimates that replacing more than 17 million ash trees could cost more than $10 billion.

Join the conversation and tell us if you’ve ever had to deal with Emerald Ash Borer. What kind of impact did it have on you and how did you battle the pest?

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