(KAIR)--A destructive pest, known for wreaking havoc to trees all over the country, has made its way to Atchison County.
The emerald ash borer was found, in a trap, that had been placed on an ash tree near the Atchison County community of Cummings.
According to a press release from the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the discovery was made September 19, and USDA regulatory officials confirmed the finding September 23.
The trapping effort is part of a national plan by the USDA to establish an early detection network for the pest.
Kansas will now expand the emerald ash borer quarantine, already in place for the counties of Jefferson, Leavenworth, Douglas, Wyandotte and Johnson, to include Atchison County.
That's done in an effort to help prevent further spread of the pest, which is native to Asia.
It was first discovered in North America in the summer of 2002, near Detroit.
Since that time, it has killed millions of trees in 28 states, including Kansas.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture is planning to hold educational meetings in Atchison County pertaining to the emerald ash borer in an attempt to keep the pest from spreading.
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