NASHVILLE - An infestation of emerald ash borers in Marion County has prompted Tennessee Agriculture Department officials to slap a quarantine on the entire county, blocking the movement of ash trees and ash tree products.
According to a departmental news release, the destructive beetles have been detected in the Kimball area of the county, prompting the move.
Emerald ash borer have now been detected in just over half of Tennessee counties with Marion becoming the 48th of the state's 95 counties to be hit with an ash product quarantine.
The forest pest was introduced from Asia into the U.S. during the 1990s and were first detected in Tennessee in in 2010. Agriculture officials say EAB beetles can kill an ash tree within three years of initial infestation.
Insects are transported mainly by humans through infected ash nursery stock, firewood, unprocessed saw logs and other ash products.
TDA's Division of Forestry estimates that there are 261 million ash trees on public and private land in Tennessee, potentially valued as high as $9 billion.
Officials are asking residents to report any symptomatic ash trees to the Agriculture Department and follow these simple rules:
- * Don't transport firewood, even within the state.
- * Use firewood from local sources near where it will be burned.
- * If you purchase firewood, make sure that it is labeled and certified to be pest free.
- * Watch for signs of infestation in your ash trees.
- * To learn more about what signs to check for signs of infestation and what Tennessee counties are under quarantine, visit www.tn.gov/agriculture/topic/ag-businesses-eab.
For more information about emerald ash borers and other destructive forest pests, as well as tips for infestation prevention, visit www.protecttnforests.org.