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Monday, May 21, 2012

Oswego to remove infested ash trees

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An emerald ash borer. | Sun-Times Media file

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Updated: February 29, 2012 10:22PM



OSWEGO — Public works crews will begin cutting down trees infested with emerald ash borers on Monday in the Herrens Run neighborhood.

The insect was confirmed in neighborhoods around Oswego in fall 2010 by the Illinois Department of Agriculture. In February, the village will remove infested trees in Fox Chase and Gates Creek, if weather permits, and public works crews will continue to remove infested trees as they are found.

The emerald ash borer is an invasive species native to China. North American trees have no natural defenses against the insect, which bores into the trunk, eventually killing the tree. The Illinois Department of Agriculture recommends destroying infested trees, as trees left standing become breeding grounds for the pests.

The beetle was first spotted in Illinois in an area west of St. Charles in 2006. Since then, it has spread to most Fox Valley communities, including Aurora, and to counties throughout the state.

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