A beetle that has killed millions of ash trees in the eastern U.S. and parts of the South has been detected in Johnson County.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture said Monday that the emerald ash borer was found in a tree near the Johnson County landfill. Trees there were being inspected after the presence of emerald ash borer was found last summer in Wyandotte County.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed the beetle’s presence in Johnson County on July 11.
Ash trees become infested when adult beetles lay eggs on the bark, leading to larvae that bore into the tree.
Kansas has enacted an emergency quarantine for Johnson County, similar to the quarantine in place in Wyandotte County, to prevent further spread of emerald ash borer in Kansas. It applies to items like firewood and ash products or byproducts.