Rock County plagued with worry over emerald ash borer
The Wisconsin Agriculture Department is hanging emerald ash borer traps across the state, but Rock County's UW-Extension Horticulture Educator says local property owners shouldn't panic.
Mike Maddox says no emerald ash borer has been reported in Rock County. Although property owners might want to be proactive, Maddox advises against treating trees until you're sure you have an infestation. He says one homeowner was approached by a landscaping company offering to treat the emerald ash borers present in their trees. The insects were actually Japanese beetles and it was a birch tree, not an ash tree. Maddox says scams like this could crop up elsewhere.
He recommends calling the UW-Extension office if an ash tree is infested. The tree could be damaged from other pests or disease. The trees could also just be fickle and dropping their leaves.
If you're not sure you have ash trees, Maddox recommends bringing a branch from the tree in question to Rotary Botanical Gardens, where Master Gardeners will inspect it.
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