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8 July 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle known for devastating white ash and green ash trees in rural and urban landscapes, has been confirmed to be in Kansas.
A news release from Kansas State Research and Extension says the Kansas Forest Service confirmed the presence in several northeast Kansas counties, and advised landowners to be on the lookout.
The Emerald Ash Borer was first suspected in the 1990s, but it was not detected or discovered until 2002. The United States Department of Agriculture says the beetle is responsible for the destruction of tens of millions of ash trees in 30 states, including more than 40 million in Michigan alone.
The beetle was first discovered in Kansas in 2012.
Ryan Rastok, the forest health program coordinator for KFS, reported infected trees in these 13 counties:
Atchison
Brown
Doniphan
Douglas
Franklin
Jackson
Jefferson
Johnson
Leavenworth
Miami
Osage
Shawnee
Wyandotte
“I suspect it’s in other areas; we just haven’t found it (outside of the areas identified) yet,” Rastok said in a news release. “So we’re asking people – especially outside of those counties where we’ve currently found it – to let us know if they’re seeing dying ash trees. That’s extremely helpful for us to know that so that we can find (EAB) and we can give them information they need in real time to treat their trees.”
The Emerald Ash Borer is a green invasive, wood-boring beetle that kills ash trees by eating tissues under the bark. Adults are known to emerge in May from infestations to the trees from the previous year, and they lay eggs shortly after.
Small trees can die one to two years after infestation, while larger trees may survive for three to four years.
Rastok says early detection and proper treatment can save infected trees. He recommends treatment as soon as possible by a licensed pesticide applicator. He discourages homeowners from trying to treat infected trees themselves, noting that pesticides to do so are expensive, and the over-the-counter options are not as effective as treatments by a licensed applicator.
“If trees are not treated, they are going to die, plain and simple,” said Rastok, who notes that it may not be practical to treat several trees in a forest, where varieties may eventually build resistance. But it’s important to note that in urban areas, most of those varieties are cultivars, and cultivars are basically just genetic clones. If you’re talking about a landscape tree that have been planted, I wouldn’t expect those to be resistant.”
Landowners who suspect an EAB infection should report it to the Kansas Forest Service by calling 785-532-3300.