Ash Trees are cut down along the trail at Meadowbrook Park in Howard due to Emerald Ash Borer infestation, May 17, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
(WTAQ-WLUK) — State wildlife officials say the invasive emerald ash borer has been confirmed in all 72 Wisconsin counties.
This comes after it was recently detected in Burnett County on June 13.
The state’s first confirmed sighting of emerald ash borer took place in Ozaukee County in July 2008. Although the ash tree-killing beetle is less established in northwest Wisconsin than in other parts of the state, this year’s detections indicate that the pest is expanding its foothold in the region. Emerald ash borer is usually transported to new areas by hitching a ride on firewood.
Emerald ash borer larvae bore into ash trees and carve winding, S-shaped galleries beneath the trees’ bark, typically starting in the upper canopy and progressing down the tree. The galleries restrict the movement of water and nutrients to affected areas of the tree, leading to branch dieback, canopy thinning and tree death.
Emerald ash borer is expected to eventually kill more than 99% of Wisconsin’s white, black and green ash (and their ornamental varieties). Landowners concerned about emerald ash borer should contact a forestry professional or ISA-certified arborist and consult the state’s emerald ash borer Information Resource webpage to learn about management options. In the parts of northern Wisconsin where emerald ash borer populations remain low, there is still an opportunity to reduce the insects’ impact.
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