Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, has reported that four more Iowa counties have confirmed infestations of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). Insect samples were collected from ash trees in Winthrop in Buchanan County, a rural area east of Randall in Hamilton County, Eldora in Hardin County and Council Bluffs in Pottawattamie County. These samples were submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which confirmed the presence of EAB. Carroll County was added to the list of infestations in April, and with the addition of these four, that number has climbed to 61. “June is typically the time of year we receive a surge in phone calls about poorly looking ash trees,” says Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB and gypsy moth coordinator. “We urge people to continue to report suspicious symptoms in counties that are not yet known to be infested.” People can really help minimize the spread of this pest by not giving it a ride in infested firewood between counties or from home to campsite. Adult beetles of the Asian pest begin to emerge from May to June and can be found throughout the summer months. The borer is metallic green in color, slender and approximately a half inch long. They leave behind telltale D-shaped exit holes that are approximately an eighth of an inch in diameter. Symptoms include branch dieback in the upper crown, water sprouts along the trunk and main branches, vertical bark splits, S-shaped tunneling under loose bark as well as woodpecker damage. Citizens suspecting an infestation can contact authorities through the points detailed below.
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To report a potential EAB infestation:
Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, State Entomologist Office:
Phone: 515-725-1470
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Entomology:
Phone: 515-294-1101
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Phone: 515-725-8453
