Nebraska's Forest Health Report for October 2026

by Jennifer Morris, Forest Health Specialist

November 10, 2026

Emerald Ash Borer detections map of Nebraska with confirmed infested counties highlighted in red. The infested counties are Lincoln, Sherman, Buffalo, Kearney, Hall, Hamilton, York, Platte, Seward, Dixon, Thurston, Burt, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy, Case, Otoe, Nemaha, Richardson, Lancaster, Dodge, and Saunders — The October Nebraska Forest Health Report highlights persistent drought conditions in the panhandle, the spread of emerald ash borer and planting tips to prevent pine trees from turning brown.

Exceptional Drought Persists in the Panhandle

Significant improvement of moisture conditions in Eastern Nebraska will hopefully have a positive impact on trees as we transition into the winter months. The panhandle of Nebraska has had no relief from drought even though some areas have dropped from severe to moderate in category. The counties of Kimball, Banner, Morril & Cheyenne have been hit the hardest this year and have been in exceptional drought for a very long period of time. As we transition into the fall months, we hope that this pattern will change and moisture will make its way to those counties that need it most. Continue to water in periods of drought even in the winter when conditions are favorable to do so.

Nebraska drought map showing varying intensity levels of dryness on September 29, 2026. The western edge of the panhandle is mostly red, representing extreme drought, and has two small spots of maroon representing exceptional drought. The western half of the state is primarily orange, signifying severe and moderate drought. The center of the state is yellow running north to south, signifying abnormally dry conditions. The southeastern quadrant of the state is white, signifying no drought conditions.

Map showing drought levels across Nebraska on October 27, 2026. The western half of the state is almost entirely white, representing no drought conditions. The western half of the state is yellow, then light orange, then orange, then red, and maroon, respectively, from east to west. This indicates abnormally dry conditions in central Nebraska that turn into exceptional drought conditions the farther west you travel.

Nebraska map showing drought condition changes over 4 weeks from September 29, 2026 to October 27, 2026 with shaded improvement and degradation areas. The southeastern quadrant of the state has no drought, so it has no shading on the map. The majority of the western side of the state has experienced no change. A small portion of the panhandle is pale green, indicating 1 class improvement. A large s-shaped swath of land covering northeastern Nebraska down to southwestern Nebraska is also pale green.

Soil moisture map of Nebraska on November 4, 2026 showing percentiles with blue, yellow, orange, red and gray shades. While eastern Nebraska has high soil moisture between 70 and 100 cm soil moisture percentile, a portion of central Nebraska and two sections of western Nebraska have between 10 and 30 cm soil moisture percentile. Very small spots of the state have between 0 and 5 cm soil moisture percentile.

New County Confirmed for Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald ash borer (EAB) was found at the Minden Elementary School in Minden. Kearney County is the 22nd County that now has been confirmed for EAB.

For questions or additional information about EAB, contact our Forest Health Team. You can also use our website to report a sighting in a county where EAB has not yet been confirmed by clicking the link below.

https://nfs.unl.edu/report-emerald-ash-borer-sighting/

Tree bark of an ash log with curving engravings, highlighted by arrows and circles; background shows branches and grass. Two circles highlight holes in the bark and three arrows point out the squiggly, curving engravings. — Ash Log from Minden Elementary School. "S" shaped galleries made by EAB larva (red arrows) and "D" shaped exit holes from the adult insect (blue circles).
*Photo Courtesy of Jennifer Morris*

Browning Pine Trees

Pine tree with dense brown foliage, some green needles, set near a building and fence. — This 5-needle pine variety in Lincoln started browning this fall. The homeowner mentioned that they had not used any herbicides around the tree. However, this tree was planted very deep, as shown below. In the picture below there is a larger branch that had been cut recently, and the branch was coming out of the ground. *Photos courtesy of Laurie Stepanek*

Several reports of pine trees that are turning brown have been received this month from northwestern Kansas to north central Nebraska. While each case has different factors to consider and pines can have several insect or disease issues, some of these cases had one thing in common - problems that could have been addressed at the time of planting. Girdling roots, planting depth and what type of weed control barrier all play a role in how the tree grows, responds to its environment and overall longevity.
Making sure that the hole dug at the planting site is at the right depth and width, plus inspecting the roots for any abnormalities will go a long way in tree stability, water/nutrient uptake and growth rate.

Using weed barrier fabric has many pros and cons. Excellent weed and grass control for many years seems ideal but the fabric may not break down quickly over time, creating a competition between the fabric and the expanding diameter of the trunk of the tree.

Vermin, like mice and voles use this fabric as protection from the elements and become a nuisance by chewing on bark or feeding on xylem/phloem.

When using weed barrier, it's best to inspect the area once in a while to address these problems before major issue arise.
For a great visual guide and more information on planting, visit our website or use the link below:
https://nfs.unl.edu/tree-care/tree-planting-guide/