Emerald ash borer confirmed in Kandiyohi County

State officials have confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer (EAB) in a new county, the 35th in Minnesota with the wood-boring pest.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) says signs of infestation were noticed in Kandiyohi County by a tree care company on the west side of Nest Lake, near Spicer. MDA staff then found live EAB larvae.

EAB larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part that moves nutrients up and down the tree’s trunk.

Signs of an infestation can include woodpecker holes, split bark and S-shaped galleries under the tree’s bark.

Due to the discovery of the ash borer, MDA has enacted an emergency quarantine, limiting the movement of firewood and ash material out of the county. The quarantine covers the northeast corner of the county from U.S. Highways 71 and 12 on the western and southern borders respectively, and the county line on the northern and eastern borders.

The MDA says while this is the first time EAB has been found in Kandiyohi County, the species was first discovered in the state back in 2009.