SIOUX FALLS, S.D - (KELO.com) The Emerald Ash Borer, or EAB for short, has made its way to Sioux Falls and soon Sioux Falls will start releasing parasitic wasps to help combat the invasive species. The EAB was detected in Michigan in 2002 and the United States Department of Agriculture went to work.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the APHIS, along with the Forest Service, researching the EAB's native range in China, identified 3 wasp species that naturally attacked the EAB. First releasing the wasps in Michigan in 2007. Since that time, the USDA has released the wasps in 24 states, including Minnesota, and Colorado.
They will not harm you or your pets, they are "stingless." However, the largest of the wasps are the size of a typical mosquito, so be careful not to swat one that lands on you by mistake.
In case you were wondering, the wasps are not for sale to the general public.
For more information on the EAB and the biocontrol program, go to www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/eab.