Emerald Ash Borer Confirmed in Iowa –
What should Iowa and Indianola Residents Do With Their Ash Trees?
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The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), an invasive pest that kills ash trees, has been found in Iowa along the Mississippi River 2 miles south of the MN border in Allamakee County. This is the first confirmed EAB infestation in Iowa. |
If you have read or heard about Iowa cities and ISU removing some ash trees due to the EAB, they removed the trees at this time, prior to the EAB being found with 15 miles of their locations, due to several reasons. The trees are in poor health, are in a bad location, are under stress or they have an overpopulation of ash trees in their community. The information below is from the ISU Dept. of Entomology and the Iowa Dept. of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to help guide residents in determining what to do with their ash trees.
At this time, there is no need for insecticide treatments for EAB anywhere in Iowa other than in Allamakee County.
As EAB moves into Iowa, this recommendation may change as we learn more about the known infestation areas and the ever-changing status of control options. But for now, any application of insecticides to ash trees for EAB control is a waste of time, money and resources.