(Decatur County, Iowa) Emerald ash borer has been found in Decatur County in southern Iowa. An employee of a tree service spotted it north of Grand River, and the DNR confirmed it.
There are now 53-counties in Iowa that have confirmed infestations of E-A-B.
The emerald ash borer, which kills ash trees, was first discovered in Iowa in 2010.
Native to Asia, EAB is responsible for killing tens of millions of ash trees in the U.S.
Experts say much of the pest’s spread into new areas can be attributed to this insect
hitchhiking on firewood.
“This find is noteworthy in the fact that it makes it the 14th county in Iowa this calendar year to be confirmed with EAB,” said Mike Kintner, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship EAB and gypsy moth coordinator. “This surpasses the previous highest finds of 13 counties back in 2014. The Decatur County finding is an excellent reminder that EAB can still be found in the dormant season. Woodpecker damage to an ash tree could be an indicator of EAB activity in that tree.”
DNR tree experts say ash trees infested with EAB will have die-back in the upper crown, water sprouts along the trunk and main branches, vertical bark splits, D-shaped emergence holes, S-shaped tunneling under loose bark, as well as woodpecker damage.