Serving O'Brien & Clay Counties

Ash borer crawls into O'Brien, Clay counties

89 Iowa counties now reporting infestations

It's here.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship on Monday confirmed that an infestation of the emerald ash borer (EAB) was discovered in rural Paullina and in Spencer. In addition to O'Brien and Clay counties, state officials also announced Monday the invasive pest was found in Forest City in Hancock County.

Osceola and Dickinson counties are two of 10 Iowa counties without a confirmed EAB infestation. Others include: Plymouth, Woodbury, Monona, Emmet, Palo Alto, Kossuth, Humboldt and Mitchell.

The beetle is the No. 1 threat to North American ash trees. Originally from Asia,...