Emerald ash borer confirmed in Decatur County

Emerald ash borer has been detected in Decatur County, putting the total number of impacted Iowa counties at 53, state officials announced Thursday.

Ash borer was detected in a rural area north of Grand River as a result of someone with a tree service recognizing potentially infested ash trees. After contacting the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the site was visited and later confirmed positive following the diagnosis of an insect specimen.

The beetle, which destroys ash trees, is most frequently spread by the transport of infested firewood.

Emerald ash borer larva feed on the inner layer of ash tree bark, starving the tree and killing it within two to four years. Officials recommend residents buy local firewood and avoid moving it outside the area to prevent transportation of the destructive pest.

'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.”

Emerald ash borer is native to Asia and was introduced to the United States in 2002. It was first discovered in Iowa in 2010 and spread to Linn County in 2015 and Johnson County in 2016.