Minnesota Releases Tiny Wasps to Fight Emerald Ash Borer

Minnesota is turning to a tiny natural predator in its effort to protect ash trees from the emerald ash borer.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has released about 8,000 parasitic wasps at Ki-Chi-Saga Park in Chisago County over the past two years.

The adult wasps are about the size of a gnat and do not sting people. They attack emerald ash borer eggs and larvae developing beneath the bark of ash trees.

Officials say the program is intended to reduce beetle populations and give surviving ash trees a better chance to recover. More than 700,000 of the wasps have been released at over 55 Minnesota sites since 2010.

Emerald ash borer has now been confirmed in 60 Minnesota counties. Residents can help slow its spread by avoiding the long-distance movement of firewood. Minnesota Department of Agriculture