(Emmetsburg)– Emerald ash borer has now been discovered in Palo Alto county, making Emmet county the only county in Iowa where the pest has not been officially confirmed yet.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services says the pest was found in samples collected in March from an ash tree in the Basswood Recreation Area outside of Emmetsburg after staff with the agency noticed woodpecker damage in an ash tree.
A press release says landowners with ash trees on their property should consider a course of action for at risk trees, which are generally those within a 15 mile radius of a known infestation. More information can be found at iowatreepests.com.
