Web Extra!

Riverside announced this morning that the emerald ash borer, the tiny insect that has been responsible for the loss of millions of ash trees in the Upper Midwest and northeastern United States, has been found in the village.


According to Village Forester Michael Collins, an adult emerald ash borer was found in one of the four purple traps set by village in May. The trap was located in a forested area next to the Des Plaines River in the vicinity of Riverside and Blackhawk roads.


Three other traps set in the village (Indian Gardens, Repton and Southcote, Selborne and Uvedale) previously tested negative for the presence of the pest.


“We were notified last week and coordinated with the Illinois Department of Agriculture to survey the area, which we did [Monday],” Collins said. “We didn’t find anything, and now we’re looking at the actual trees.”


Two ash trees were taken down and will be inspected later today.


“We’re just trying to move as fast as we can to determine what the situation is in Riverside,” Collins said. “Hopefully, it’s an early detection type of scenario. Hopefully, we’re out in front of it.”