Invasive ash tree-killing insect found in three more Iowa counties

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - The emerald ash borer has been found in three more Iowa counties.

The invasive, ash tree-killing insect from Asia has now been confirmed in Monona, Osceola and Woodbury Counties for the first time.

With that, the insect has now been detected in all but three of Iowa’s 99 counties.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the insect is a significant threat to ash trees because they feed on the inner bark, cutting off the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients. This will typically kill a tree within two to four years after infestation.

“While adult beetles can disperse locally by flying, long-distance spread of this insect is attributed to people moving infested material, including firewood,” the Iowa DNR said in a press release. “People are encouraged to use locally-sourced firewood where it will be burned to help limit the spread of EAB.”

Find more information about the emerald ash borer, including a county detection map, here.