PARRISH, WI (WSAU-WXPR) – Emerald Ash Borer or EAB is a non-native invasive species that can destroy ash trees… and it’s been found in Langlade County.
It’s already been found in pockets of Price, Oneida, and Florence Counties. Now it’s been found in three areas of Langlade County in the towns of Ainsworth, Parrish, and Wolf River.
The bright metallic- green beetle has been discovered all across southern Wisconsin and has been making its way north.
“At all of these sites we had multiple trees that were infested. They were infested down to about eye level and woodpeckers were coming in and starting to strip the bark off the trees to be able to get at the tasty larvae underneath the bark. That tells me that the population has been there just a little while to be able to build up to a large enough population that the woodpeckers are interested in it,” Linda Williams, DNR Forest Health Specialist, told WXPR radio.
Two of three areas were hit by the derecho storms in July of 2019.
Williams said that likely means potentially infested wood from those areas was moved during storm clean up.
Once EAB is in an area, it’s nearly impossible to get rid of. “In Wisconsin, our native ash trees are green ash, white ash, and black ash. Emerald Ash Borer is really good at killing them. It will kill almost 100% of all of the ash trees that we see. It will eventually kill them. It’s important for people to know that this is on the way,” said Williams.
Williams said the best way to prevent EAB from spreading is to limit the movement of firewood.
Langlade County is the first new EAB detection this year. It’s the 59th county in Wisconsin to identify the insect.
