The Kansas Forest Service and Kansas State Research and Extension are advising landowners to be watchful for emerald ash borer beetles or grubs with the insect confirmed in 13 Kansas counties, including one area county.
Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in Kansas in 2012 and has been found in 30 states since it was discovered 10 years earlier. As of Friday, the beetle or larvae had been found in northeast Kansas, including Osage County in the KVOE listening area.
The beetle is green and eats tree tissue under the ash tree bark, killing the tree. Adults typically come out of trees in mid- to late May after infesting trees the prior year. They lay their own eggs shortly after they emerge. Larvae then dig into the ask tree and feed under the bark.
Small trees may last up to two years after they are infested. Larger trees can last up to four years.
Ash tree owners are encouraged to find licensed pesticide applicators to handle treatments including trunk injections, soil drenching or bark spray. Landowners who suspect an infestation should report it immediately to the Kansas Forest Service by calling 785-532-3300 or by emailing rrastok@ksu.edu. Landowners can also call the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s plant protection and weed control program at 785-564-6700 or by emailing kda.ppwc@ks.gov.
