Crop protection specialist warns North Dakota’s ash trees could soon be at risk

MINOT, N.D. (KXNET) — There are greater than 75 million ash bushes in North Dakota, however within the subsequent a number of years, that quantity might go down because of a single insect.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive insect that kills ash bushes.

Whereas the insect has not made its technique to North Dakota.

The emerald ash borer made its technique to the US 20 years in the past.

“It was first found in the US in Michigan, in 2002,” mentioned Troy Regstad, the Minot metropolis forester. “And it’s slowly spreading its method west. it’s now positioned in Minnesota, and has been present in South Dakota and likewise Winnipeg.”

The insect has been present in 35 states and 5 Canadian provinces.

And because of its present shut proximity, North Dakota may very well be subsequent.

“There’s really a fairly important worry that it might arrive to North Dakota,” mentioned Travis Prochaska, crop safety specialist on the North Central Analysis Extension Heart. “Ash bushes are very widespread a lot of the US so their arrival, they’re sort of onerous to detect, particularly initially. And they are often moderately onerous to manage as effectively.”

The emerald ash borers assault true ash bushes and often kill them.

“The larva bore into the tree and so they begin consuming beneath the bark, and the cambium layer, and it really girdles the tree so the vitamins can’t circulation from the roots to the leaves,” mentioned Regstad.

However there are methods to cease this insect.

Fortunately, there are remedies that might assist our bushes — together with trunk injections, soil drenching and bark spraying.

“It’s not an immediate cure-all; it takes time,” mentioned Prochaska. “If a broken tree is extreme, the injury will not be reversible. If it’s fairly minor nonetheless, a chemical remedy might not result in restoration of that tree immediately, it could take a yr or two for a few of these minor injury bushes.”

However Regstad says that it may very well be expensive to attempt to save each single ash tree within the state.

Financially, it is going to be extraordinarily troublesome.

“They are often fairly costly although,” mentioned Regstad. “In all probability round $150 or $200 a tree. So it wouldn’t be cost-effective to deal with each ash tree, however you’d most likely have to select and select your excessive greenback, excessive visibility bushes.”

One of the best ways to lower the chance of the emerald ash borer making its technique to North Dakota is to supply your firewood domestically.

“Don’t transfer firewood,” mentioned Regstad. “Burn it the place you’re at. Purchase it the place you’re gonna burn it.”

So the subsequent time you seize some firewood, be sure to burn it in the identical space.

Could 24-30 has been proclaimed by Gov. Doug Burgum as Emerald Ash Borer Consciousness Week in North Dakota.