Invasive insect claims new territory in Pottawatomie County
POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY (KSNT) - An invasive species is continuing its slow conquest of Kansas ash trees as officials confirm it has spread to a new county in 2025.
The Kansas Forest Service (KFS) and Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) reported on Tuesday, June 17 that emerald ash borer insects have been found in Pottawatomie County. The invasive species is responsible for the deaths of numerous North American ash trees and can now be found in 17 counties across the Sunflower State.
Staff with the KFS, KDA and Kansas State University Research and Extension office captured four adult emerald ash borer insects on June 10 in Wheaton about 25 miles north of Wamego. This comes after officials confirmed emerald ash borer was also in the Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge in Linn County in May.
“As progression of the emerald ash borer continues into new counties, we similarly work to provide ongoing early detections,” said Shad Hufnagel, forest health coordinator with the Kansas Forest Service.
Emerald ash borer beetles come from Asia and pose a major threat to the continent's ash trees. The KFS said that at least 70 million ash trees have been lost due to the invasive pest since it arrived in North America.
A total of 17 counties now contain emerald ash borer insects. The full list of impacted counties and when the insects were first detected are below:
- Wyandotte – 2012.
- Johnson – 2013.
- Leavenworth – 2014.
- Douglas – 2015.
- Jefferson – 2015.
- Atchison – 2016.
- Doniphan – 2017.
- Shawnee – 2017.
- Miami – 2019.
- Jackson – 2019.
- Brown – 2022.
- Osage – 2022.
- Franklin – 2023.
- Lyon – 2024.
- Nemaha – 2024.
- Linn – 2025.
- Pottawatomie - 2025.
The KFS encourages landowners to learn how to recognize the presence of emerald ash borer insects in their ash trees. Thinning canopies, appearance of D-shaped holes and declining tree health are some of the signs that indicate that emerald ash borers may be present.
“Landowners are encouraged to create a replacement plan for the ash trees on their property to ensure a continually healthy canopy as ash trees decline,” Hufnagel said. “A landscape with many types of trees is more resilient to insect, disease and environmental threats that exist or could occur in the future.”
More information on emerald ash borers and treatment methods can be found on the KFS website by clicking here. If you think emerald ash borers are on your property, reach out to the KDA or the KFS.
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