Emerald ash borer found in 4 new Minnesota counties, quarantine expanding

3,000 trees to be removed in St. Paul due to emerald ash borer

Over the course of this year, neighborhoods all across St. Paul will look a lot different, perhaps even a bit stark.

(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer – an insect larvae that kills ash trees by tunneling through them and depriving nutrients – in four new Minnesota counties.

Emerald ash borer in Minnesota

What we know:

The MDA says it has confirmed the presence of emerald ash borer in four new counties: Meeker, Murray, Ottertail, and Wadena.

In March, the MDA confirmed the spread to three additional counties in the state: Aitkin, Pine and St. Louis.

As part of the update, the officials confirm that emerald ash borer has also since been found in new areas of Carlton County, despite the quarantine efforts implemented previously.

Emerald ash borer was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009.

The MDA has since issued a quarantine for all areas known to have been infested to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.

Emerald ash borer treatment

Dig deeper:

Several treatments are available to kill emerald ash borer, usually involving the use of pesticides.

Systemic insecticides can be injected into a tree trunk, where emerald ash borer move throughout the tree – effectively killing their larvae. 

Soil drench insecticides are applied around the base of a tree, killing newly hatched larvae to stop their spread.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has previously announced over $25 million in grants are available for "urban and community forest management."