Emerald Ash Borer has found its way to the MSUM campus
The Moorhead city forester has identified 13 trees around John Neumaier Hall that are infected with emerald ash borer and flagged those trees for removal.
- Three of the ash trees will be replaced with another species of tree.
- Ten were planted too closely to adjacent spruce trees and they will now have a better chance of flourishing once the ash trees are removed.
- Infested trees will be removed within the next few weeks, during the EAB dormant period Oct.1-April 30.
The grounds crew has purchased the chemical and equipment needed to help prevent the spread of EAB. They will follow the action plan the City of Moorhead implemented to remove, replace or treat remaining trees.
About the emerald ash borer
The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is a destructive wood-boring pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Native to China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East, the emerald ash borer beetle (EAB) was unknown in North America until its discovery in southeast Michigan in 2002. EAB infestations have been detected in 36 states and the District of Columbia.
There are approximately 900 trees on the main campus, of which 200 are ash trees, mostly on the east side of 14th Street South (near residence halls and Nemzek).