Tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer detected in Decatur

Tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer detected in Decatur
Emerald Ash Borer Flickr/U.S. Department of Agriculture
Tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer detected in Decatur
Emerald Ash Borer Flickr/U.S. Department of Agriculture

Tree-killing Emerald Ash Borer detected in Decatur

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

The Emerald Ash Borer, a tree-killing beetle, has been found in the city of Decatur and it is thought to be spreading.

Scott Schirmer, the Illinois Department of Agriculture EAB program manager, tracks the beetle that started attacking Illinois’ ash trees in 2006. He called it a major problem and noted that it could be hiding inside trees in Chicagoland.

“These trees haven’t been treated. There hadn’t been the time…the resources or even the research for it, but it’s mostly a matter of time,” Schirmer said.

Schirmer said the Emerald Ash Borer is hard to detect and can be transferred through firewood and wooden crates.

He also the beetle tends to be on the move as the weather gets warmer.