![Emerald ash borer larvae taken from black ash logs Tuesday January 07, 2014 in St. Paul ,MN. The current cold snap is likely to make Minnesota less hospitable to the most recent version the emerald ash borer. A recent study by the U.S. Forest Service and the MN Dept. of Ag found that 40 percent of the larvae in test logs exposed to -18 degree temperatures died. AT -29, 90 percent died.] JERRY HOLT • jerry.holt@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CJZWI72X7Z77AUW2AYWWF7N26M.jpg?&w=1080)
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has confirmed an emerald ash borer infestation in Anoka County.
It says the destructive tree pest was found in an ash tree on private property in the city of Ham Lake.
The infested tree was detected through a call to the department's Arrest the Pest Hotline, which allows concerned residents to report suspicious invasive plants and insects, like the emerald ash borer. Agency staff then confirmed the tree was infested.
Anoka County now will be put under an emergency quarantine and eventually will join Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Houston, Olmsted and Winona counties in a state and federal quarantine.
The quarantine is designed to limit the movement of any items that may be infested, including ash trees and limbs, as well as all hardwood firewood.
Some cities are gradually cutting down ash trees on boulevards and parks and replacing them with different varieties in order to prevent the borer from quickly denuding the landscape. In Blaine, for instance, the goal is to replace up to 7,000 ash trees, once planted in abundance, in the next decade.
Wire and staff reports
