The spread of the devastating Emerald Ash Borer Beetle across the Twin Cities Metro continues. On March 25, 2015 the Minnesota Department of Agriculture confirmed Emerald Ash Borer infestation in Anoka County. The discovery of the Ash Borer Beetle was made on private property in the City of Ham Lake. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture website states that the infested tree was found through the “Arrest the Pest” hotline.
Due to the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle in Ham Lake, Anoka County is now being placed under emergency quarantine and will eventually be placed on a state and federal quarantine to help contain the further spread of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. Anoka County now becomes the seventh county in the State of Minnesota to become infested with Emerald Ash Borer.
It is important to remember that with the quarantine comes responsibilities from residents. Now that Anoka county is under an emergency Emerald Ash Borer quarantine it is prohibited to move Ash trees, Ash tree limbs, and all hardwood firewood out of the county. Doing so will come with stiff financial consequences to the offending party and is strongly discouraged.
It is also time for Anoka county residents to begin to develop an Emerald Ash Borer treatment plan to help protect their trees from becoming infested with this invasive pest. The time is now to start thinking of your options for the following reasons:
- the rule of thumb is that if your tree is within 15 miles of a infestation point, you are at risk
- in the spring, when the tree is fully leaved out, is the best time to perform preventative Emerald Ash Borer treatment
- the spread of Emerald Ash Borer is continuing and you don’t want your tree to become infested
Emerald Ash Borer treatment and prevention plans vary across the Twin Cities. Contact Sweet Leaf Tree Service today to set up a free consultation to discuss the various Emerald Ash Borer treatment options that will work best for you.
For more information on the latest discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer beetle in Anoka County, please visit the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.