Plymouth ‘Getting Hammered’ with Emerald Ash Borer Infestation
The city of Plymouth has found more than 1,000 trees infested with emerald ash borer around Medicine Lake and down to the Minnetonka border. The infestation first started on the east side of Medicine Lake expanded to the west side of the lake all the way down to the Minnetonka border and along Highway 55.
“This whole area is just getting hammered. We’ve marked over a thousand trees, almost 2,000 trees,” said Plymouth City Forester Paul Buck.
The emerald ash borer beetle infects ash trees and spreads quickly, typically killing most ash trees in its path.
This tree is infected with EAB and will be removed this winter. It’s one of many trees along 6th Avenue North damaged or destroyed by the invasive insect.
You can see the impact of the insect along 6th Avenue North and Revere Lane North. All the trees on the south side of the street are infested and will be removed this winter. On the opposite side, there used to be a row of ash trees, but were taken down last year because of the insect.
Buck says the situation is getting worse.
“It’s expanding from that center area where it started. We knew we didn’t catch it in time. We knew we weren’t going to stop it,” said Buck. “It was the idea to try and slow it down so that people would have time to either treat or remove them before they got too bad, and in some cases, we missed it.”
The city of Plymouth wants residents to be proactive and remove infected trees before the infestation spreads.
