BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Last week, a small green beetle that could destroy North Dakota’s 90 million ash trees was spotted for the first time in the state. The Department of Agriculture reported that the Asian ash jewel beetle was discovered near Edgeley in LaMoure County.

Bismarck Forestry Department crews hope to reduce the potential damage from future Asian ash beetle infestations. They said the question is not if the insect will be seen in the city, but when.

“Just because we found it once doesn’t mean we won’t find it again somewhere. Maybe in a place where there are more green ash trees. So we are very vulnerable,” said Lezlee Johnson of the North Dakota State Forestry Service.

The city of Bismarck has been preparing to combat the pest infestation for nearly a decade.

“We know the impact of this insect – it will kill 100% of our ash trees if we do not take action or treat the trees,” said Deputy City Manager Doug Wiles.

Ash trees can be protected from EAB using pesticides and biological agents such as a specific species of wasp, but the best method of controlling the insect is to take action before it gets a chance to invade, and that means reducing its numbers.

“The most effective methods of pest control are preventative removal, treating trees you want to keep and planting trees,” Wiles said.

Wiles said when he started with the city, 38 percent of the boulevard trees were ash. That number has dropped to 23 percent. The department’s goal is to preserve 20 percent of the 1,500 ash trees along the boulevards. He said currently, crews are only cutting down ash trees that are in poor condition or conflict with overhead power lines.

“We will continue to select trees that we absolutely want to keep. We have a magnificent green ash in our community. Trees like that are a legacy, really big, healthy trees that we want to keep,” Wiles said.

Wiles said about $1 million has been set aside in the city’s reserve fund to be used if EAB is found there. The money will be used to cut down more ash trees and apply pesticides to trees that are to be preserved.

He said the public can help slow the spread by keeping an eye on their ash trees and not bringing firewood from other areas.

“It likes to hitchhike on firewood and other hardwood products, so it’s even more important for us not to transport firewood,” Johnson said.

The city removes fewer than 500 trees per year and plants more than a thousand.

In North Dakota, over 250 traps have been set for the Asian ash beetle and are monitored by the State Forest Service and others.

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