Invasive species damaging ash trees in Montgomery County

Last month, an invasive species of insect was found in Montgomery County. 

The Emerald Ash Borer has been spreading its way through Iowa, damaging and killing ash trees in the process. 

On Aug. 18, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship sent out a press release that EAB was found in rural Montgomery County, about 10 miles northwest of Red Oak. 

Since then, steps have been taken around the city of Red Oak to stay ahead of a possible EAB infestation. 

Bill Drey, the president of the Park and Tree Board, said he is in the process of identifying ash trees throughout the city. 

Mike Kintner, the EAB and Gypsy Moth Outreach and Regulatory Coordinator with IDALS, said the department helps to identify if EAB has been found in each county. Kintner said because there is EAB found all over the state now, the IDALS is being helped by Iowa State University Extension offices. 

“[The IDALS’] main purpose is to find [EAB] in each county first,” Kintner said. “Unfortunately, we can’t go out and look at every tree. Since [EAB has] already been located in Montgomery, the best thing to do would be to contact an arborist of the ISU Extension office [to find out how to deal with it.]”

Montgomery County’s extension office has published materials on how to best deal with EAB if a tree may be infested. 

To identify if EAB is present in an ash tree, the IDALS suggests to watch for symptoms such as D-shaped exit holes, serpentine galleries along the tree, bark splits and canopy dieback. 

According to the ISU Extension Office’s website, homeowners have two options when it comes to protecting against EAB: they can remove an ash tree and replace it with a different species or they can protect the tree with treatments. 

If a homeowner chooses to treat a tree with pesticide, ISU suggests the optimal time is early spring. The extension office has suggested no more treatments be made in 2015 due to the lateness of the growing season. 

The Montgomery County Extension Office warns that ash trees near Red Oak could all be at risk. 

“We do not know the extent of the EAB population in Montgomery County,” said a document on the office’s website. “Any ash tree[s] within 15 miles of Red Oak are at risk of attack by EAB. 

To learn more about EAB and how to care for ash trees, visit iowatreepests.com or extension.iastate.edu/psep/EmeraldAshBorer.html.