Officials confirm emerald ash borer in Union County, SD

PIERCE, S.D. (KTIV) - South Dakota officials have confirmed an infestation of emerald ash borer in Dakota Dunes.

Emerald ash Borers have been identified in three counties, Lincoln, Minnehaha, and Union, as well as in six communities Brandon, Canton, Crooks, Dakota Dunes, Sioux Falls, and Worthing. ted quarantine area will now include all of Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner, and Union Counties. The quarantine is designed to slow the spread of emerald ash borers.a

Officials say the quarantine, which is in place year-round, prohibits the movement of firewood and ash materials out of the quarantined counties. Movement of firewood from any hardwood species, whether intended for commercial or private use, is also restricted.

Emerald Ash borers have been identified in three counties, Lincoln, Minnehaha, and Union, as well as in the communities of Brandon, Canton, Crooks, Dakota Dunes, Sioux Falls and Worthing.

“We all need to work together to slow the spread of EAB,” said Roberts. “Firewood is the most common way EAB is moved from one location to another. Please, follow the quarantine restrictions and buy it where you burn it.”

If an ash tree is infested before it is cut, the wood may still contain EAB larvae. An individual split piece of ash firewood can have five or more adults emerge in the summer.

Emerald ash borers are boring beetles that feed on all species of North American ash. They were first detected in the United States in 2002, and in South Dakota in 2018.