"If you don't do anything to save your ash trees now, the Emerald Ash Borer WILL kill them." In a nutshell, that's what government officials are telling cities, counties, and property owners in the Midwest.
Two months ago, the US Department of Agriculture added northwestern Illinois and eastern Iowa to its quarantine area for the shiny, green Asian beetle. And last month (Dec.), the agency confirmed it's spread to western Iowa. It kills ash trees by eating the nutrients under the bark while still immature, in the larval stage. The borer has already killed more than 25 million ash trees in the US, and experts say the voracious bugs aren't about to quit.
On today's WVIK News Focus, Michelle O'Neill reports.