Rock Island Discovers EAB

Oct 4, 2013 7:23 AM

Scott Mighell

The emerald ash borer, a destructive pest responsible for killing millions of ash trees in North America, has been discovered in Rock Island County. The beetle was discovered in Hasselroth Park by an Illinois Department of Agriculture employee. Rock Island is the 31^st Illinois county with a known infestation of EAB. The detection there followed finds in Jo Daviess and Whiteside counties earlier this summer and effectively means the beetle is now located throughout the northern third of the state. Forty-one Illinois counties currently are under quarantine to prevent the artificial or "human-assisted" spread of the beetle through the movement of infested wood and nursery stock. A new amended quarantine that includes Rock Island, Jo Daviess and Whiteside counties soon will be put in place. Bureau, Henry and Stark counties are among the 41-counties already under quarantine.