Emerald Ash Borer Detected In Washburn, Taylor Counties

Posted on by akabelowsky

By Paul Cigan, DNR forest health specialist, Hayward;
Paul.Cigan@wisconsin.gov or 715-634-9232

Photo of an emerald ash borer on a tree

The emerald ash borer was detected in the Wisconsin counties of Taylor and Washburn in April, making them No. 70 and No. 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties that have confirmed presence of the invasive insect.

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been detected for the first time in Washburn and Taylor counties, making them the No. 70 and No. 71 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties to have a confirmed detection of the invasive insect.

Here are the details of the most recent discoveries:

  • On April 3, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Health staff investigated a report of several ash trees with woodpecker flecking and branch dieback on private, forested property in the town of Springbrook. Dozens of white ash trees on the site exhibited woodpecker flecking, feeding galleries and larval life stages. Larvae collected were confirmed as EAB by a USDA-APHIS identifier on April 29.
  • On April 10, Forest Health staff investigated a report of an ash tree with woodpecker flecking and branch dieback at a residence in the city of Medford. Numerous EAB larvae were collected from an infested tree and confirmed as EAB by a USDA-APHIS identifier on April 29.

The detections will not result in regulatory changes because EAB was federally deregulated on Jan. 14, 2021, and Wisconsin rescinded its statewide quarantine effective July 1, 2023.

The insect was first found in the state in 2008. With these new detections, Burnett County is now the only Wisconsin county without an EAB detection.

EAB will continue to spread in northern Wisconsin, bringing a significant impact on the ash resource. This is a good time to review the updated Wisconsin DNR EAB webpage for information and resource links on EAB and the Wisconsin DNR EAB Silviculture Guidelines to become familiar with or refresh on ash stand management options.

For information on insecticide treatment options for ash shade trees, please visit the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s EAB webpage.

Map showing emerald ash borer infestations in WisconsinThe DNR, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension and tribal partners continue to track EAB’s spread. They share detection information through online maps that are available to Wisconsin’s citizens, private businesses and governmental entities. The effort is meant to aid in EAB readiness planning, pest management and biological control activities.

With 66 new city, town and/or village detections already reported statewide in 2024, map updates continue to occur biweekly. To see where EAB has been found in Wisconsin or to report new municipal detections, please visit the Wisconsin EAB online detections map or PDF map.

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