St. Louis County Emerald Ash Borer Update

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) announced today, it has formalized a quarantine for emerald ash borer (EAB) in southeastern St. Louis County.

The EAB quarantine limits the movement of firewood and ash material out of the quarantined area of the county. This is to reduce the risk of further spreading the insect.

The quarantined area runs from MN Highway 33/US Highway 53 on the west to the Lake county border on the east. The northern border of the quarantine runs from Hwy 53 along Three Lakes Road (Co Hwy 49) east to the intersection of Vermilion Trail. It then continues along the northern edge of Gnesen, North Star, and Alden townships. It then extends south to the Carlton County and Wisconsin border.

The emergency quarantine was put in place by the MDA in September 2016, after the EAB was discovered near Duluth’s Harley Park.

The biggest risk of spreading EAB comes from people unknowingly moving firewood or other ash products that harbor the larvae. EAB larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009, and has been found in 30 states and killed tens of millions of ash trees.

Ways you can keep EAB from spreading:

• Don’t transport firewood
• Be aware of quarantine restrictions
• Watch your ash tress for infestation

For more information visit http://www.mda.state.mn.us/eab