Ohio adds county to ash borer quarantine

COLUMBUS (AP) — A tree-killing beetle remains on the move, prompting the state to add yet another county to its quarantine area.

The Ohio Department of Agriculture says an ash tree infested with the emerald ash borer has been found near Interstate 70 in the Fairfield County community of Pickerington. The county now becomes the 32nd from which it’s illegal to remove ash trees or parts, as well as any hardwood firewood.

Officials say the tree in question was one of 10,000 statewide set up to lure the ash borer and keep tabs on its spread. Trees are stressed so it’s easier for the bugs to get under the bark.

The destructive insects were first discovered in Ohio in 2003.