The identification of emerald ash borers in Grinnell in Poweshiek County last week brought the number of Iowa counties with the invasive pest to 25.
Emerald ash borer has not been identified in Greene County, but the destructive Asian beetles were discussed at two different meetings in the past week.
Jefferson city council member Larry Teeples reported at the city’s streets committee meeting June 16 that at inventory of all trees on city-owned property is in progress. He noted that the time for treating trees has passed for this summer, but that an inventory is a first step in whatever the city ultimately does.
The county board of supervisors discussed the trees on the courthouse property in early May. The two largest trees on the north side of the courthouse are ash trees estimated to be nearly 100 years old. Auditor Jane Heun reported to the board at its June 22 meeting that those trees have been treated against emerald ash borer and will not require treatment again for two years.
The cost for the two trees was $700, paid to Daniel Clipperton Tree Service of Bayard. The charge was $10 per inch of diameter, Heun said.
The supervisors also talked in May about forming a committee to develop a plan for all the courthouse trees. That has not yet been done.
Brad Riphagen of Jefferson, a field coordinator for Trees Forever, has previously said that prudent homeowners should make plans for how they would replace trees in the eventuality that EAB becomes a problem, but at this time other action probably isn’t necessary.
