SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources have confirmed emerald ash borer in Brookings, South Dakota.
A public information meeting will be held Thursday, July 11, at 7 p.m. at the McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center in Brookings. Presenters will explain the threat to the community and help ash tree owners decide on removal or treatment options for their trees. City representatives will also be available to discuss the plan for public ash trees.
Emerald ash borer was first confirmed in Minnehaha County in 2018.
“Once detected in a community, it quickly spreads and kills most ash within five to ten years,” said John Ball, Professor, SDSU Extension Forestry Specialist and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Forest Health Specialist.
Ball also explains the only way to protect an ash tree is through insecticide trunk injection performed by a commercial applicator.
For more information, visit extension.sdstate.edu or emeraldashborerinsouthdakota.sd.gov.
