The emerald ash borer has been detected in Grand Isle County. It’s the latest confirmation of the presence of the damaging insect in Vermont.
Since it was first discovered in February, the insect has been found in Orange, Washington, Caledonia, and Bennington counties.
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets says the larval form of the emerald ash borer was found in trees in South Hero and confirmed by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
The South Hero trees are about fifty miles from the closest previously confirmed case. State and federal officials plan to survey the area to determine the extent of the infestation.
The emerald ash borer has been found in 35 other states and five Canadian provinces and has killed hundreds of millions of trees. Much of its spread is through infested wood, like firewood. The state recommends that Vermonters purchase only local firewood and refrain from transporting ash logs or pruning debris.
Ash trees account for about five percent of Vermont’s forests.
