Emerald Ash Borer Found In Duluth

The Insect Could Kill Most Ash Trees in the City

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has identified emerald ash borers in the City of Duluth.

Staff from the MDA discovered Emerald Ash borer larvae in 4 ash trees on Park Point during a three year study conducted within the city.

The Emerald ash Borer is from Asia, so the ash trees in the area don’t have a natural resistance towards the beetles. 

“From experience elsewhere, they will kill most ash trees in the area if left to do what they do,” said Mark Abrahamson, an Entomologist at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

 Though currently only a few trees in Duluth have been identified to be housing the notorious insects, experts say it’s only a matter of time before other trees are infested.

To combat the infestation, the city is planning to remove all of the ash trees that are 12 inches in diameter or smaller, and to inject the bigger trees with pesticide.  

Meanwhile, experts are asking for help in fighting the infestation.

“Keep an eye on your trees in your neighborhood, if you see things that look like emerald ash borer potentially, report them to us, and take a picture and send it to us, and we’ll follow up on it.”

The MDA will be implementing a quarantine of Park Point to help prevent the Emerald Ash borer from spreading.

The quarantine limits moving any items that may harbor the insects out of the area.