Emerald Ash Borer Found in New Areas of Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has confirmed emerald ash borer (EAB) in multiple new locations. EAB was confirmed in new areas of Carlton County and was found for the first time in Meeker, Murray, Ottertail, and Wadena counties. There are now 58 counties in the state with EAB.

Where EAB was recently confirmed:

County	Location	Discovery Details
Carlton	Rural Carlton County near Holyoke, Sawyer, and Wrenshall	EAB was discovered by a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources employee.
Meeker	Round Lake public access south of Litchfield	EAB was discovered by a Meeker County Soil and Water Conservation District Employee.
Murray	West of the City of Fulda	EAB was discovered by a Murray County Soil and Water Conservation District Employee.
Ottertail	Town of Deer Creek	The MDA confirmed an EAB find submitted by a tree care company.
Wadena	City of Wadena	The MDA confirmed an EAB find submitted by a tree care company.

What is EAB:

EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009. The insect larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Often, the trees show several signs of infestation because of this. Woodpeckers like to feed on EAB larvae, and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of emerald ash borer. Also, EAB tunneling can cause the bark to split open, revealing characteristic S-shaped galleries underneath.

Quarantine information:

The MDA is enacting emergency quarantines in Carlton, Meeker, Murray, Ottertail, and Wadena counties. All of Carlton County, excluding the Fond du Lac Reservation, will be quarantined. The entire counties of Meeker, Murray, Ottertail, and Wadena will be quarantined. The quarantines limit the movement of firewood and ash material out of the area. 

The MDA issues quarantines for all areas known to have EAB to reduce the risk of further spreading the tree-killing insect.

More information:

A virtual informational meeting for residents and tree care professionals will be held on Tuesday, July 8, from 10–11 a.m. Experts from the MDA will give a brief presentation followed by a question-and-answer session. Register on the MDA website. 

The public will also have an opportunity to provide input on the emergency quarantines before the quarantines become formal. The MDA is taking comments on the emergency quarantine now through August 8, 2025, and recommends adopting the quarantine on August 11, 2025. The proposed quarantine language can be found at the MDA website.

Comments can be made during the virtual meeting or by contacting:

Mark Abrahamson
Minnesota Department of Agriculture
625 Robert Street North
St. Paul, MN 55155
Mark.Abrahamson@state.mn.us

There is more EAB information on the MDA website. 

###

Media Contact
Brittany Raveill, MDA Communications
651-201-6131
Brittany.Raveill@state.mn.us