In partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) has detected emerald ash borer (EAB) for the first time in Forest County. DNR forestry staff detected this ash tree-killing beetle in a roadside right-of-way tree in the town of Armstrong Creek on April 12. It was confirmed to be EAB by USDA-APHIS on April 26. The tree displayed characteristic symptoms of EAB presence, including woodpecker flecking, epicormic sprouts, and D-shaped exit holes.
Forest County is the fourth new county detection of 2022 and marks the 65th county detection since EAB was first confirmed in the state in 2008. There are seven Wisconsin counties that have not had an EAB detection. There are no regulatory changes as a result of this detection. EAB was federally deregulated as of January 14, 2021, and Wisconsin instituted a statewide quarantine in 2018.
For more information about EAB and where it has been found, visit https://datcp.wi.gov/Pages/Programs_Services/EAB.aspx.
Note: DATCP will send notifications only when EAB is found for the first time in a county.