Emerald ash borer found in Freeborn County

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in Freeborn County for the first time, boosting the number of counties in the state with EAB to 28.

MDA said a contractor for a local electric cooperative noticed signs of EAB while doing tree maintenance along utility lines. MDA staff then found live EAB larvae.

EAB kills ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up the trunk.

MDA said woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, so woodpecker holes in trees may indicate the presence of EAB, as can bark splitting open.

An emergency quarantine limiting the movement of firewood and ash material out of the county has been enacted.