AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2016 • NEBRASKAland 23
By Julie Van Meter
State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture
T
he Nebraska Department of
Agriculture confirmed the first
find of emerald ash borer (EAB)
in the state on June 8. This invasive
beetle was discovered in ash trees at
Pulaski Park in Omaha by arborists
with the City Parks Department. A
second infestation was confirmed in
Greenwood on June 17. Nebraska
becomes the 27th state to confirm an
EAB infestation since it was first found
in Michigan in 2002.
"While it is unfortunate that we have
confirmation of the pest in Nebraska,
it is not unexpected, considering the
close proximity to confirmed pest
infestations in Iowa, Missouri and
Kansas," said NDA Director Greg
Ibach. "The Nebraska Department of
Agriculture, along with the United
States Department of Agriculture, the
Nebraska Forest Service and members
of the Nebraska EAB Working Group
have been preparing for the possibility
this pest would enter the state."
NDA has issued a quarantine
covering Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy
and Washington counties, which
prohibits the distribution of all ash
nursery stock originating within the
quarantine area, and regulates the
movement of all hardwood firewood
and mulch, ash timber products and
green waste material out of the infested
counties.
The quarantine is intended to aid
in the prevention of human-assisted
spread of the pest into uninfested areas.
A USDA quarantine is also expected,
and NDA and USDA staff will work
with the public and impacted industries
to ensure compliance with the
quarantines. NDA staff will continue
to set and monitor EAB traps and
conduct visual surveys across the state
to identify additional infestations.
The Nebraska EAB
working group offers the
following suggestions:
•
Prevent the spread
of EAB by using locally-sourced
firewood, burning it in the same county
where you purchased it. Infested
firewood can easily transport EAB and
other invasive pests.
•
Only high value ash tress located
within 15 miles of a known infestation
should be considered for treatment.
Trees that are experiencing
declining health should be
considered for removal.
If you feel you have located an
EAB infestation, please report it to the
Nebraska Department of Agriculture
at 402-471-2351, the Nebraska Forest
Service at 402-472-2944 or your local
USDA office at 402-434-2345.
Additional information on EAB,
including the quarantine information,
can be found on the NDA website at:
NDA.Nebraska.gov/Plant/Entomology/
EAB/. For Nebraska specific
recommendations and guidelines on
EAB, visit EABNe.info. ■
Bug Banter
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How to Quarantine
Emerald Ash Borer
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