[E]merald ash borers have been found for the first time in Orleans County.
The invasive insects were collected from ash trees in Derby Line, just below the Canadian border, and then identified by federal inspectors, according to a press release from the Agency of Natural Resources.
The finding marks another example of the growing infestation of the insect in Vermont, making Orleans the seventh county in which emerald ash borers have been found.
The species was first discovered in Vermont last February. Its larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under their bark and feeding on parts of the trees that move water and sugar.
Based on tree symptoms, emerald ash borers had been in Derby Line before the species was found in Vermont, according to the press release.
The insect is likely present within 10 miles of Derby Line, the release said, including in Newport City, Holland and parts of Newport Town, Coventry, Charleston, Brownington, Morgan and Norton.
Norton Town Clerk Gina Vigneault said Friday she hadn’t heard about the possible presence of emerald ash borers in her town, but acknowledged that they could be if they were found in Derby Line.
“Sad to say,” Vigneault said. “I’d like to think they’re not, but who knows.”
Residents in the area are asked to look for signs and symptoms of the insect and report them online.