Emerald ash borers are in Shawnee County
An adult Emerald Ash Borer pictured up close. Photo Source: David Cappaert, Michigan State University, bugwood.org
The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) has confirmed that Emerald Ash Borers (EAB) are present here in Shawnee County. According to their June 2017 statement (link to full article here), an arborist hired to trim branches at a Lake Shawnee residence notified the KDA of what they suspected (and were able to confirm) to be emerald ash borer activity. All Ash trees are susceptible to infestation and Kansas is home to both the White and Green type Ash. In Kansas specifically, emerald ash borer activity was identified in Wyandotte, Johnson, Douglas, and Shawnee counties. Not sure if you have Ash trees? Use this guide to help you identify them.
What are an emerald ash borers?
The emerald ash borer is a beetle impacting Ash trees across the United States and Canada. The beetles were first recognized in Michigan in 2002 and since then have been found in nearly 30 states across the country, including Kansas. Trees become infected when adult beetles lay eggs on the bark of an Ash tree. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel between the bark and the wood, disrupting the tree’s water and nutritional movement, eventually killing the tree.
Emerald ash borers: control and prevention
The KDA encourages anyone in northeast Kansas to monitor their ash trees for signs of EAB, and to be vigilant in not transporting any wood or tree materials from ash trees out of your county, including firewood, nursery stock, green lumber and composted or uncomposted chips.
If you have ash trees on your property and would like assistance in identifying pests or preventing pests, we are here to help! It is possible to apply preventative treatment against Emerald Ash Borers, but it is not possible to cure an already infested tree. Reach out to us today to learn more about treatment for the Ash trees you love. If you fear that your trees are already showing signs and symptoms of EAB, contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture immediately.
