The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES) and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) have announced that the emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis), an invasive wood-boring pest that attacks ash trees, was detected in Prospect, CT on July 16, 2012. This is the first record of this pest in Connecticut. Another probable infestation in nearby Naugatuck, CT is still awaiting confirmation.

It is unknown how EAB entered Prospect or Naugatuck, but the movement of infested firewood has been previously linked to the spread of this invasive pest into other states.

Both CAES and DEEP are taking a series of strong, proactive steps aimed at preventing the spread of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer. These steps include a quarantine zone that would prohibit the movement of certain wood products out of New Haven County and a ban on the importation of firewood into Connecticut through New York or Massachusetts – unless it is properly certified or has not come from an area of infestation. Learn more about these steps here.

For more details about this finding, visit the EAB page on the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection website.

UPDATE (as of August 10, 2012): Learn more about Quarantine Order and Emergency Regulations here.