Emerald ash borer confirmed for the first time in four Minnesota counties

A tiny green beetle with a destructive appetite has reached another milestone in its relentless march across Minnesota. The emerald ash borer—an invasive insect that kills ash trees by burrowing under their bark—has now been confirmed in Wadena and four other counties, bringing the state’s total to 58 affected counties. What started as a single discovery in 2009 has become an ongoing ecological crisis, with emergency quarantines now limiting the movement of firewood and ash materials to slow the beetle’s spread. For communities watching their ash trees disappear one by one, it’s a familiar and frustrating pattern of arrival, quarantine, and loss. Staff with Wadena Pioneer Journal has the full story that’s lurching in our direction.

Staff

Wadena Pioneer Journal

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