By Bill McNee, DNR Forest Health Specialist, Oshkosh, bill.mcnee@wisconsin.gov, 920-360-0942
In 2022, the number of municipal emerald ash borer (EAB) detections in Wisconsin crossed the 1,000 milestone. The 1,000th municipality (town, village or city) to have an EAB detection was the Town of Lincoln in Adams County on May 19. At the end of the year, EAB was known to be in 1,109 municipalities, up 23% from a year earlier.
Cumulative number of Wisconsin municipal EAB detections by year. Graph: Bill McNee, Wisconsin DNR.
Emerald ash borer was confirmed for the first time in five additional counties (Ashland, Bayfield, Forest, Lincoln and Menominee) in 2022. EAB has now been found in 66 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties and confirmed on the land of three Tribal Nations. Additional unreported infestations are commonly believed to be present.
Municipal EAB detections during 2022 are shown in orange.
Map: Wisconsin Department Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
By the end of 2022, the pest had been found in 60% of all Wisconsin municipalities: 155 cities (82% of all cities), 262 villages (63% of all villages) and 692 towns (56% of all towns). Cities are disproportionately located in the southern half of Wisconsin, where EAB is now a very common insect. In contrast, large numbers of towns are located in the northern half of Wisconsin, where EAB is not as widespread.
Additional information about EAB identification, detections and management can be found online at www.emeraldashborer.wi.gov. Information for communities can also be found on the DNR urban forestry webpage.
(EAB municipal information is from the master list maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Community information is from the Wisconsin Department of Administration, Demographic Services Center.)