EAB Update

Blair Tree Woodpecker Damage – Woodpecker damage and severe crown dieback seen on this ash tree in Blair, NE – photo credit David Nielsen, NDA

Several new finds of emerald ash borer (EAB) have already been made this summer, resulting in three new Nebraska counties being confirmed for EAB infestations. In June, EAB-infested trees were found in Kearney (Buffalo County). Staff with the City of Kearney Parks Department noticed declining ash trees and reported those concerns to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA). A site visit confirmed D-shaped exit holes and serpentine galleries present on the trees, and adult EAB specimens were collected and ultimately confirmed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture identifier as EAB.

A tree care company reported declining ash trees in July, in both Blair and Kennard,(Washington County). NDA staff visited the site, and confirmed D-shaped exit holes and symptomatic trees. No EAB insects were collected, but based on the signs of EAB present and the tree decline, staff determined EAB was present.

A single adult EAB was caught in a trap in Seward (Seward County), in late July 2020.

No changes to the Nebraska EAB quarantine will be made until the end of the survey season, later this fall. The quarantine currently covers eight counties: Cass, Dodge, Douglas, Lancaster, Otoe, Sarpy, Saunders and Washington. A full copy of the NDA EAB quarantine along with other EAB regulatory information can be found online at https://nda.nebraska.gov/plant/entomology/eab/index.html.

To report possible EAB infestations in uninfested counties or for information on the quarantine or certification options for regulated commodities, contact Julie Van Meter at 402-471-6847 or Julie.vanmeter@nebraska.gov .