What We Are Doing
Latest News - 14 June, 2010
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today announced that a quarantine of Allamakee County has been issued to prevent the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). State officials announced recently that an EAB infestation had been confirmed along the Mississippi River two miles south of the Minnesota border in Allamakee County.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has also filed a proposed amendment to the Iowa Administrative Code, that would require firewood sold or distributed in Iowa be identified by the county and state of origin.
Press Release - 14 May, 2010
Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) was found for the first time in Iowa on May 6th, 2010 in the very northeast corner of Allamakee County Iowa, and confirmed on May 13th by USDA identifiers.
A group including members from the USDA; Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS); U.S. Fish & Wildlife; and Army Corp of Engineers boated to two island locations on the Mississippi River in Allamakee County, to survey the area for the invasive insect pest.
Four larvae were collected from one ash tree on an island one mile south of Victory, Wisconsin; or approximately 2 miles south of the IA/MN border where infestations of Emerald Ash Borer were known to occur.
Link: Emerald Ash Borer Found and Confirmed in Allamakee County Iowa
2010 Purple Trap Survey
(Click on pictures to get a larger view.)
2010 has been a busy year for the Iowa Emerald Ash Borer Team. The purple trap survey has once again been conducted this season to detect the presence of EAB.
Approximately 1,882 purple traps were in place by June 1, 2010. This was a three fold increase from 2009. The traps will remain in place through the month of August, after which they will be collected and evaluated. There has been no positive traps detected as of June 2010.
Link: Emerald Ash Borer - Purple Trap Questions & Answers
Ten Counties along the Mississippi River have been trapped in a 1.5 mile grid pattern (1,554 traps). An additional 328 traps have been placed in special sites such as parks, campgrounds, and sawmills.
Cooperating agencies including the USDA-APHIS PPQ, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) are conducting the survey.
2010 Sentinel Tree Survey
In addition to the purple trap survey, nearly 412 sentinel trees were established across Iowa by the IDNR, including 12 trees in Allamakee County that will be processed in the fall and winter of 2010.
(Click on pictures to get a larger view.)
Sentinel trees are ash trees that are girdled during the spring to induce stress, there by making the tree more attractive for insect attack. These trees are then bark peeled and surveyed for larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer during the fall and winter.
Sentinel trees are placed at high risk locations such as campgrounds, parks, and well travelled public places where EAB is likely to be introduced. As of December 2009, no larvae have been found in any of the sentinel tree locations.
Inspecting Local Ash Trees
Surveying of local ash trees, whose symptoms are similar to EAB, continues throughout Iowa. Most of these trees are owned by concerned Iowa citizens, who have called or emailed inquires regarding Emerald Ash Borer.
Link: How to determine if you have an Ash Tree
The numbers of local ash trees that were inspected during 2009 - 2010 has been considerable; although these numbers are not officially recorded.
This work continues to be done in cooperation with Iowa State University Extension, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the USDA. None of the public trees that have been inspected as of June, 2010 were found to have EAB.
IDNR is also conducting an inspection of an additional 1,700 ash trees in campgrounds and state owned public areas. This is a continuing project, where approximately 1,265 ash trees in 234 campgrounds across 55 counties were surveyed in 2009. Consequently, no trees have been found suspect as of June 2010.
If you suspect Emerald Ash Borer in your neighborhood, we would be happy to take a closer look without inconvenience to you. Please help us by filling out the Contact Us page.
Workshops and Meetings
Several informational meetings and workshops for the public have also been conducted in communities throughout Iowa.
Workshops are scheduled by Iowa State University Cooperative Extension, and are intended for any person who may be interested in Emerald Ash Borer.
People who may be interested in attending a workshop for 2010, can find the scheduling and locations at: ISU Pest Management and the Environment
Public Relations
The Iowa EAB Team are active in educating the public about the risk associated with the transportation of out-of-state firewood into Iowa.
This effort is directed toward businesses who sell firewood, and to individuals who may bring firewood across state lines. We have done a number of public relations campaigns, advertising, and billboards that are designed to educate people about the threat.
Link: See our Billboards
Link: See our Magazine Ads
Link: Don’t Move Firewood!
Link: Listen to PSA's: Talking Trees | Moving Wood
Iowa State Fair Displays
