More Emerald Ash Borer Found in Roseville

More instances of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) have been found in Roseville, city officials said this week. 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has identified about 30 more ash trees in Roseville as infected with the insect disease, city Parks and Recreation Director Lonnie Brokke said in an interview with Patch.  

Brokke said that although the city doesn't yet know the precise location of all of the diseased trees, some are on private property while others are on public land, including Langton Lake Park. 

The Agriculture department's survey comes after it recently discovered one diseased ash in the northwest quadrant of Roseville. Click on to this link to read Roseville Patch's recent initial post. 

In a email newsletter update, Roseville officials said, "About 25 percent of public trees in the city are ash trees, and all ash trees are susceptible to EAB.  The spread of EAB could have a devastating effect on the community."

Brokke said the city will be responsible for disposing of diseased trees that are on public land while those on private property will be the responsibility of their landowners. He said the cost to take down diseased trees could range from $200 to $600 per tree, depending on the size of the tree. 

The city said, "The EAB larvae are worm-like grubs that kill ash trees by tunneling under the tree's bark. It can take up to four years after the EAB larva infests a tree before symptoms are seen. By then it is too late to save the tree."

Anita Twaroski, Roseville forestry technician, said there are guidelines for when diseased trees can be removed. "To control the spread, you don't remove (trees) during the summer," she said.  

Brokke said that once the city obtains the locations of all the diseased trees, it will notify affected property owners. 

Roseville residents who have concerns about ash trees on their property, can contact Twaroski at 651-792-7142. She will help property owners find resources to identify EAB and options to protect their trees. Here's what else the city has to say about the Emerald Ash Borer issue: 

• "Twaroski encourages residents to talk with an arborist to identify whether there is an infestation, and what can be done to prevent an infestation. There are some preventive insecticides but there is no guarantee that they will save the tree. If a tree is infested with EAB, insecticides will not save it and it will have to be removed.
• Tree removal contractors must be licensed by the City of Roseville and listed on the Tree Care Registry atwww.mda.state.mn.us/licensing/licensetypes/treecareregistry.aspx. Before you hire a tree removal service, call 651-792-7080 to make sure the tree service has the appropriate license.
• Ash trees are often difficult to identify. Log on towww.mda.state.mn.us/news/publications/ext/ashtreeid.pdf to help identify whether you have an ash tree.
• Because of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) quarantine, Ramsey County residents cannot move any hardwood species including ash trees, ash limbs, branches, logs and untreated ash lumber with the bark attached, outside of Ramsey and Hennepin counties.

Call 651-201-6684 or log on to www.mda.state.mn.us/invasives/eab for more information about EAB. Information is available in English, Hmong and Spanish."

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