North Dakota Ag Connection - It's Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in North Dakota

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It's Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in North Dakota
North Dakota Ag Connection - 05/22/2018

This week is Emerald Ash Borer Awareness Week in North Dakota.

Native to Asia, the emerald ash borer (EAB) only attacks true ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). The larvae feed under the bark, disrupting the movement of water and nutrients and killing the tree within several years. EAB has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in the United States over the past decade.

"EAB is now found in 33 states, including our neighbors, Minnesota and South Dakota," said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. "It was also found north of us in Winnipeg, Manitoba this past December. Given the traffic between our states and Canada, it is more important than ever for North Dakotans to take action to prevent it from coming here."

North Dakota has more than 90 million ash trees. Based on tree inventories in 95 North Dakota communities, ash trees make up between 20 percent to 80 percent of trees along streets and in city parks. They are also found in rural plantings and native forest areas.

"EAB spreads slowly on its own, but it can be moved long distances in firewood and ash nursery stock," State Forester Larry Kotchman said. "Please buy your firewood from local sources, and if you are coming from out of the state, please don't bring firewood with you."

Moving uncertified firewood out of the areas under quarantine for EAB is a federal offense.

City forestry departments, local tree boards, NDSU extension personnel and other volunteers will tie ribbons along with informational flyers on publicly owned ash trees in over 25 North Dakota towns and cities. State parks will also participate. The event is organized by the North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA), the North Dakota Forest Service (NDFS) and the North Dakota State University Extension.

The North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and city foresters have been surveying for EAB since 2008. NDDA along with partners, NDFS, North Dakota Department of Transportation, North Dakota Parks and Recreation as well as city foresters will be placing traps around the state. Trapping will continue in 2018 with more than 250 EAB traps in cities, state parks, recreation areas, campgrounds, rest stops and other areas of high risk to survey for EAB.

The two-foot-long, three-sided, purple traps are baited with a lure attractive to emerald ash borers. The traps will be monitored through the summer during the adult flight period.

Goehring and Kotchman asked that people encountering one of these traps to please leave it undisturbed.

More information about EAB is available on the NDDA website at www.nd.gov/ndda or www.ndinvasives.org.

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