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Illinois Department of Agriculture finds new emerald ash borer
infestation
Three
counties, including LaSalle, now known to harbor the pest
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[July 13, 2007]
SPRINGFIELD -- A destructive,
non-native pest that feasts on ash trees has been confirmed in
LaSalle County. The emerald ash borer was discovered just north of
Peru at the intersection of Interstate 80 and Route 251, the
Illinois Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.
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 Department staff made the discovery while identifying ash trees for
removal later this year as part of a survey to determine the extent
of the beetle infestation in Illinois. The alert workers noticed
distressed ash trees located inside the cloverleaf off-ramps at the
intersection and stopped to investigate. Larvae were collected from
the trees and submitted to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service, which confirmed the specimens as emerald ash
borer larvae.
"Our staff now is surveying ash trees in the surrounding area to
define the size of the infestation," Agriculture Director Chuck
Hartke said. "We also are considering adjustments to an existing
quarantine as a result of this new find, to limit the artificial
spread of this destructive pest."
The emerald ash borer is a small, metallic-green beetle native to
Asia. Its larvae burrow into the bark of ash trees, causing the
trees to starve and eventually die. While the beetle does not pose
any direct risk to public health, it does threaten the tree
population. Since the emerald ash borer was first confirmed in the
Midwest in the summer of 2002, more than 20 million ash trees have
died.
The first beetle detection in Illinois occurred in June 2006 in a
rural Kane County subdivision west of St. Charles. Subsequent finds
were made in the northern Cook County communities of Wilmette,
Evanston, Winnetka and, most recently, Skokie.
The Illinois Management and Science Advisory Panel, a team of
experts that includes representatives from USDA-APHIS, the USDA
Forest Service, Chicago Bureau of Forestry, Illinois Department of
Natural Resources, University of Illinois Cooperative Extension and
Morton Arboretum, is coordinating the state's response to the
beetle.
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 "Our strategy has three components," Hartke added. "The first is
a quarantine to stop the movement of ash wood and ash nursery
products out of infested areas. The second involves the removal of
infested trees to reduce the population of the ash borer and
minimize its potential spread; while the third, a comprehensive
survey of ash trees in northeastern Illinois to determine the exact
extent of the infestation, is completed."
Areas under quarantine include all of Kane County and parts of
northern Cook, western DuPage, northern Kendall and eastern DeKalb
counties. More than 400 infested trees were removed this spring at
no expense to homeowners as part of the population reduction
strategy. An additional 1,000 trees in the region have been
surveyed.
The emerald ash borer is difficult to detect, especially in newly
infested trees. Citizens should watch for metallic-green beetles
about half the diameter of a penny on or near ash trees that are
showing signs of disease or stress. Other signs of infestation in
ash trees include "D"-shaped holes in the bark of the trunk or
branches, and shoots growing from its base. Anyone who suspects a
tree has been infested is urged to contact their county Extension
office. For more information, visit
www.illinoiseab.com.
[Text from Illinois
Department of Agriculture news release received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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