City Times Staff

Emerald Ash Borer has made its way into the City of Stevens Point, according to a news release from the city’s parks department.

The results of an emerald ash borer infestation. (Contributed Photo)

The department was notified on Thursday by the Wis. Dept. of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive pest that kills ash trees.

“EAB has been found in the city [on] the 2900 block of Center Street,” the release read in part. “This is the first confirmed EAB infestation in the city and Portage County.”

EAB is a metallic‐green beetle that measures approximately half an inch long. The immature stage of
the insect feeds on the inner bark of ash trees, disrupting the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients.

A city worker installs an EAB trap in 2015. (Contributed)

Signs of EAB‐infested ash trees include thinning or dying branches in the upper canopy, evidence of woodpecker activity, S‐shaped feeding galleries under dead or splitting bark, D‐shaped exit holes, and water sprouts along the trunk and main branches.

Parks Director Tom Schrader said about 11 percent of the city’s trees on public land are ash.

“The city has been planning for the inevitable attack of EAB,” Schrader’s statement reads, “and has been practicing tree diversification throughout public areas and parks for many years.”

City crews will begin removal and treatment of effected trees, Schrader said.

Anyone with questions can contact City Forester Todd Ernster at (715) 346-1532 or call the EAB hotline at 1-800-462-2803.