Emerald Ash Borer Cases Spread in Golden Valley
More cases of emerald ash borer (EAB) have been confirmed in Golden Valley. The invasive insect kills ash trees and has been present in Golden Valley and neighboring cities for several years.
City foresters say there are a few options to slow the spread of emerald ash borer. The best strategy is applying protective insecticide treatments to healthy ash trees to prevent an infestation. If a tree is already infested, you may be able to help the tree recover with treatments, assuming the infestation is detected early. But if that’s not the case, tree removal may be the best option.
Golden Valley has been removing and replacing ash trees on public property with a variety of species for about 10 to 15 years now.
“We’re anticipating that EAB is going to, I don’t want to say explode, but it’s going to ramp up significantly as far as infestation is concerned,” said Golden Valley City Forester Al Lundstrom. “So you’re going notice a lot more ash dying back, woodpecker damage going after larva and so forth.”
City foresters say winter can slow the spread, but it won’t stop it.
For an interactive map showing all confirmed EAB infestations in Minnesota, go to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture website.
