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May 14, 2009 11:01 pm US/Central
First Case Of Emerald Ash Borer Found In Minnesota
ST. PAUL (WCCO) ―
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Since the invasive beetle's accidental introduction into North America, it has killed millions of ash trees in 10 eastern states. (File)
CBS
State officials are reporting the first detection of the emerald ash borer in Minnesota.
The state Department of Agriculture says the destructive tree pest was found in St. Paul, just northeast of Interstate 94 and Highway 280.
The emerald ash borer larvae cuts off nutrients and starves ash trees. There's no way to stop it, so the state is now enacting a plan to slow it.
The department plans to prohibit the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock, ash timber, or any other article that could spread the insect in Ramsey and Hennepin counties.
When Rainbow Treecare came out to a townhome complex in St. Paul, it was supposed to give estimates on pruning some ash trees. After inspecting the tree, arborist Chris Naselli noticed a lot of woodpecker holes and flaky bark.
So Naselli pulled back the bark and found serpentine shapes and five little larvae.
"This is what kills the tree. The action of these larvae feeding on it," said Naselli.
He knew it was emerald ash borer but took it back to his office to confirm it.
"Part of me was very shocked in the way of discovering it, possibly," said Naselli.
He found other trees nearby had it too; one likely had it for three years.
"When elm trees were removed back in the 1970s and 1980s, ash trees were among the most popular, if not the most popular tree used to replace the elm trees," said Bob Fitch with the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association.
"I don't think it's everywhere. I think it eventually will be everywhere in Minnesota and what's up to us is what kind of time frame does that happen over. Does that happen over the next 20 years, the next 100 years and that comes down to how we respond to this," said Mark Abrahamson with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
In the next day or so, there will be a quarantine in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. No one will be allowed to move ash trees, part of ash trees or any type of firewood outside the two counties.
"This is a very sad moment in time for tree lovers and for the state of Minnesota," said Naselli.
Since the invasive beetle's accidental introduction into North America, it has killed millions of ash trees in 10 eastern states. With an estimated 900 million ash trees, Minnesota is seen as a prime target.
Last month the state issued a quarantine for Houston County in southeastern Minnesota due to an infestation just across the border in Wisconsin.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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