KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) A beetle that has killed millions of ash trees in the eastern U.S. and parts of the South has now been detected in Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture said Thursday a live emerald ash borer was found in a tree in Wyandotte County. Trees there were being inspected after the presence of emerald ash borer was found last month in nearby Platte County, Mo.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture notified Kansas of the confirmation Wednesday.
Kansas has imposed an emergency 90-quarantine in Wyandotte County in hope keeping the insect from spreading in the state. All ash trees and materials in the county must be treated or disposed of.
Ash trees become infested when adult beetles lay eggs on the bark, leading to larvae that bore into the tree.
