Emerald Ash Borer spotted in Putnam; Van Wert added to quarantine

OTTAWA — 9:25 a.m., Apr. 2 — The Ohio Department of Agriculture announced today it added Putnam and Van Wert counties to the state’s Emerald Ash Borer quarantine area.ODA officials discovered an infested ash tree at a residence in Blanchard Township in Putnam County, near the intersection of Road 5 and Road I, three miles northeast of Ottawa.To reduce the risk of the insect moving to unifested parts of the state, the ODA added Champaign, Crawford, Darke, Preble, Shelby and Van Wert counties to its quarantine area.It is illegal to take ash trees, part of ash trees and all hardwood firewood out of a quarantined county into a non-quarantined county without a compliance agreement from ODA. Fines are up to $4,000. It’s also illegal to take the items out of Ohio, due to a federal quarantine.Ash trees infested with the emerald ash borer typically die within five years. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth of an inch wide. They fly from early May until September. The insects leave a D-shaped hole in the bark of the tree that’s about an eighth of an inch wide.The ash borer has also been spotted in Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin, Logan and Mercer counties in the region and in 35 counties statewide.Read more about this story in Thursday's The Lima News.