Pest of the week

Emerald Ash Borer found in Iowa along the banks of the Mississippi river in Allamakee County.  This is the first confirmed case of the EAB in Iowa.  This pest is native of to Eastern Asia and was first detected in near Detroit, Michigan in 2002.  The pest kills all species of Ash trees at a devastating rate.  The are approximately 80 million Ash trees in Iowa that are at a severe risk to be infested and possibly killed by the Emerald Ash Borer. 

 
You may have noticed a patch or two of these odd looking guys in your mulch. Slime molds get there name from the fact that they may look slimey or as if they are oozing when they are wet. They come in many shapes and sizes, but in our area we mostly see brown or yellow blobs similar to the picture. If you disturb them a brown powder (spores) blow up and can be messy.