Emerald ash borer confirmed in all 99 Iowa counties

By Andi Anderson

The emerald ash borer, a destructive insect that targets and kills ash trees, has now been confirmed in all of Iowa’s 99 counties. The latest detection was made in Emmet County after staff from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship collected samples from a declining ash tree in Armstrong earlier this month.

The sample was then sent to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service for confirmation.

This recent confirmation marks Emmet County as the final county in Iowa to detect the invasive species. The emerald ash borer, native to Asia, was first detected in the U.S. in 2002 and has since spread across much of the country, causing widespread damage to ash tree populations.

The insect feeds on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting their ability to transport nutrients and eventually killing the tree.

Efforts to manage the spread of the emerald ash borer have included quarantines, insecticide treatments, and the removal of infested trees. However, its presence in all of Iowa's counties underscores the challenges posed by invasive species in managing local ecosystems and forestry.

With no remaining counties in Iowa unaffected by the emerald ash borer, state and federal agencies continue to monitor its spread and provide guidance to landowners and municipalities on how to manage affected ash trees.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-jimfeng