Emerald ash borers have crossed the Mississippi River for the first time and have been found in trees along the West River Parkway in Minneapolis, Minnesota. According to KARE11, the Minneapolis-St. Paul NBC affiliate, these invasive insects were first discovered in St. Paul about two years ago. Due to this new infestation, Minneapolis forestry crews will have to cut down about 100 or so trees in the West River Parkway, as well as in the Prospect Park neighborhood, where they were discovered late last year.
The Emerald ash borer is an insect that was introduced into North America in the 1990s, according to the U.S. Forest Service. At first it was reported killing ash trees around Detroit, Michigan, and other areas in 2002. When this pest infests an ash tree, it will usually die within five years. Since 2002, infestations have been found in Michigan, Ohio, northern Indiana, the Chicago area, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and most recently in Minneapolis.
KARE11 reports that Minnesota is especially vulnerable to Emerald ash borers since there are an estimated 998 million ash trees in the state – which is the most in the nation. Minneapolis has about 30,000 ash trees along its boulevards. Trees infested with Emerald ash borers are generally hard to spot since these pests live under the tree’s bark. Early spring is the best time to spot them before their leaves begin to emerge.
Michael Schmidt, the assistant superintendent for operations for the Minneapolis park system, noted that the infestation, which was feared and expected, is currently manageable, but that “it’s going to get worse.”
Photo credit: Na.fs.fed.us.