CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The number of counties in West Virginia infested with an invasive beetle is growing.
The state Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that the emerald ash borer recently was found in Brooke, Berkeley, Greenbrier, Hancock and Summers. The discovery raises the total number of infested counties to 16.
Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass says invasive insects can spread through moving firewood from one area to another. He says residents should use local firewood when they camp instead of taking their own.
The emerald ash borer has killed millions of ash trees in North America. It was found in Fayette County in 2007, Morgan and Roane counties in 2009 and Raleigh, Calhoun and Nicholas counties in 2010. Earlier this year, the beetle was found in Gilmer, Kanawha, Mingo, Webster and Wirt counties.
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