Issue 17, October 17, 2011

Emerald Ash Borer

Traps set to monitor the movement of the emerald ash borer have detected the beetle in two additional Illinois counties, DeWitt and Stark counties. Both detections occurred in rural areas. In DeWitt County, the beetle was discovered between Clinton Lake and the McLean County border. In Stark, it was trapped near Toulon.

"The nearly five thousand traps that were placed throughout the state have been carefully examined," Warren Goetsch, IDOA bureau chief of Environmental Programs, said. "Including these two finds, they detected the emerald ash borer in four new counties, bringing the number of counties with known infestations to 22." Earlier this year, emerald ash borer was first detected in Kankakee, Marion, and Effingham counties.

Currently, 25 counties in the northeastern and central part of the state are under quarantine to slow the spread of the beetle. The quarantine prohibits the intrastate movement of potentially contaminated wood products, including ash trees, limbs and branches and all types of firewood. However, neither DeWitt nor Stark County is within those quarantine boundaries.

"The quarantine boundaries undoubtedly will need to be adjusted," Goetsch said. "Meantime, I'd encourage residents of DeWitt and Stark counties to put the quarantine guidelines into practice by making sure not to transport any firewood or untreated wood products outside their county of origin. I'd also encourage tree companies, villages and cities to familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations pertaining to the processing and transporting of ash materials."

Anyone who suspects a tree has been infested is urged to contact either their county University of Illinois Extension office or village forester. For more information, visit www.IllinoisEAB.com. (Illinois Department of Agriculture News Release modified by Phil Nixon)

Author:
Phil Nixon

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