Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is a non-native (invasive) insect from Asia that kills ash trees. EAB was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009 in the City of St. Paul. Minnesota is home to approximately 900 million ash trees, the most of any state, making Minnesota susceptible to the destruction caused by EAB. Trees become infested when adult beetles lay eggs on the bark. The eggs hatch into larvae that bore into the tree, creating canopy dieback and eventually killing it.

EAB in Minnesota
Infestations of EAB were found at Lebanon Hills campground in Eagan in 2014 and near Cedar Avenue and County Road 42 in Apple Valley in 2016. EAB was detected in Lakeville in October 2017. EAB was confirmed in Farmington in 2019 but had most likely been present for 5 years prior to detection. The city is currently managing this insect, and it is estimated that about 44% of public boulevard (street trees) are ash.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has indicated Farmington is in the “generally infested” region of the Twin Cities Metro area. That means most ash trees are already infested but may not be showing visible symptoms yet. MDA has an interactive Emerald Ash Borer map that is updated annually which shows areas with current EAB infestations and quarantines.