Emerald ash borer (EAB) has been found in the City of Fitchburg, along
County Highway M near the intersection with County Hwy MM and Highway 14. No new quarantine will be issued as Dane
County has been under quarantine since 2013.
"The confirmation of EAB in Fitchburg is not surprising," said
Anna Healy, Urban Forester and Naturalist for the City of Fitchburg. "We
have been expecting this since the beetle was confirmed in Madison in 2013. If
anyone was waiting to treat ash trees on their private property until the
beetle was found in the City, now is the time to start." Only ash trees (Fraxinus genus) are susceptible to
emerald ash borer. Property owners with ash trees may consider hiring a
certified arborist to inspect and / or treat their ash trees. A list of certified arborist can be found at
www.waa-isa.org.
Signs of possible EAB infestation include thinning of branches in the
canopy, D-shaped holes in the bark, new branches sprouting low on the trunk,
cracked bark, and woodpeckers removing the bark to get to insect larvae beneath
it.
The City of Fitchburg currently maintains 691 ash trees on City property,
503 of these trees are located in the terrace and 188 are in parks. All public ash trees are inspected and
treated bi-annually with TREE-äge (active ingredient Emamectin
Benzoate). Ash trees are inspected prior
to treatment to ensure they are good candidates for treatment. The trees that are not treated are scheduled
for removal and replacement.
More information on the City of Fitchburg website at www.fitchburgwi.gov/664/Emerald-Ash-Borer.
More detailed information on the emerald ash borer infestation in Wisconsin can
be found at emeraldashborer.wi.gov.