BISMARCK – According to the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, the Asian ash jewel beetle has been confirmed for the first time in North Dakota in LaMoure County.

The NDDA announced in a news release issued Thursday that adult Asian ash borer beetles (EAB) were collected this week from a trap in LaMoure County, 9 miles north of Edgeley, North Dakota. After investigation by NDDA staff, additional larvae were collected and officially confirmed as EAB. North Dakota is the 37th state where EAB has been discovered, according to the NDDA.

“The North Dakota Department of Agriculture and our partners have been preparing for the arrival of the Asian ash jewel beetle for many years,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “We have set traps and monitored each summer and raised awareness through educational events, training and communication with the public. Now that it is unfortunately here, we urge North Dakota residents and travelers to be proactive in preventing the spread of the Asian ash jewel beetle.”

The EAB is a wood-boring insect originally from Asia and was first discovered in the United States in 2002. Since then, it has spread to 37 states and destroyed hundreds of millions of ash trees.

“There are more than 90 million ash trees at risk in North Dakota’s native, rural and urban forests,” said State Forester Tom Claeys. “Ash trees make up between 20 and 80 percent of the trees along city streets and parks. If left untreated, infected ash trees can die within a few years.”

The NDDA maintains a quarantine that restricts the transportation of regulated goods from infested areas. The quarantine is being expanded to include LaMoure County. Travelers should leave firewood at home and purchase or gather it from local sources. Transporting regulated materials from a quarantined area to a non-quarantined area can result in civil penalties of up to $5,000.

The NDDA will work with the North Dakota Forest Service and North Dakota State University Extension to determine the extent of the infestation, continue monitoring the ash trees, and conduct outreach in the coming months. The ice storm the region suffered in December 2023 will make the search for infested trees more difficult due to tree damage sustained by the storm.

Residents should check their ash trees for signs of infestation. These signs include dying S-shaped tunnels (also known as twisted galleries) under the bark, small D-shaped exit holes, and woodpecker activity in the upper canopy.

One way to protect valuable trees is through insecticide treatments. Treatments are only recommended if EAB is detected within a 15-mile radius. Residents who wish to have their ash trees treated should contact a reputable tree service company with a certified applicator who can perform these treatments. Most treatment options have limited uses and must only be performed by a professional arborist.

For more information, visit www.ndda.nd.gov/eab or report a tree you believe may be infested.