On July 8, the Town of Erie announced the first detection of emerald ash borer (EAB) within town limits. A resident found an adult EAB on private property within the Historic Old Town area of Erie.
A forester with the Town of Erie collected and provided the EAB specimen to entomologists with the Colorado State Forest Service and Colorado State University, who confirmed it as EAB.
It is unknown whether EAB arrived in Erie by natural spread or accidental human transport, such as in firewood or other raw ash material. Populations of the insect are capable of spreading a half-mile each year on their own, and Erie is adjacent to other municipalities with known EAB infestations.
Experts from the CSFS and CSU Extension visited the site where the specimen was found. They did not find EAB-infested trees but did find evidence of EAB activity in ash trees.
What You Can Do About EAB
EAB was first confirmed in Colorado in 2013 in the City of Boulder. Since then, this invasive, highly destructive tree pest has continued its spread to other cities and towns on the Front Range.
If you live on the Front Range, the first step is to determine if you have ash trees on your property. For information about ash tree identification, treatment options, tips on selecting a tree care company and more, please visit csfs.colostate.edu/eab.