Emerald ash borer found in Carver, Sibley counties

Emerald ash borer has been found in Carver and Sibley counties, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture said Monday, meaning EAB has now been confirmed in 25 Minnesota counties.

MDA said a tree care professional contacted the department after spotting several trees with EAB-like symptoms near the Carver-Sibley county line, north of Belle Plaine. Staff arrived and found live EAB larvae in infested trees on both sides of the county line.

According to MDA, ash trees with EAB may show several signs, including woodpecker holes and bark cracks. Woodpeckers like EAB larvae while larvae tunneling can often cause the bark to split open.

MDH has put an emergency quarantine in place to limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the counties to further reduce spreading since it’s the first time EAB has been found in the counties.

The invasive insect was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009 and is now in 35 states.

MDA says Minnesota has about 1 billion ash trees, most of any state in the country, meaning EAB can have a major impact.