Corps of Engineers on alert for emerald ash borer in Nebraska

REPUBLICAN CITY, Neb. ¾  The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Kansas City District Harlan County Lake Project  is on alert for the invasive and destructive emerald ash borer. 

With the recent confirmation of emerald ash borers in southeastern Nebraska, there is potential for firewood harboring the insect to be unknowingly transported by campers going to the lake for Labor Day weekend. Always remember to “Buy It Where You Burn It” – get firewood at or near the area where you will be having a campfire. 

“One of the primary ways that the emerald ash borer has expanded its range so quickly is through the movement of infested firewood,” said Larry Janicek, park manager for the Corps at Harlan County Lake. “We must have the cooperation of our visitors on this issue to ensure the protection of our ash trees that provide shade in our campgrounds and important habitat on our wildlife lands.” 

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture issued a quarantine prohibiting the movement of hardwood firewood out of Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Washington and Dodge counties to assist in the prevention of human-assisted spread of the pest into un-infested areas.     

The emerald ash borer is a small metallic green colored beetle first discovered in southeastern Michigan in 2002.  It probably arrived in the U.S. on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Adult beetles nibble on ash foliage but cause little damage. The larvae feed on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree's ability to transport water and nutrients, eventually killing the tree. The emerald ash borer is now found in most of the eastern and Midwestern states, including Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and now, Nebraska.

For information about Harlan County Lake Project visit http://www.nwk.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Lakes/Harlan-County-Lake/

For information on the emerald ash borer in Nebraska, visit the Nebraska Forest Service page http://nfs.unl.edu/nebraska-eab or the Nebraska Department of Agriculture page http://www.nda.nebraska.gov/plant/entomology/eab/index.html

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