KANSAS CITY, Mo - An insect that destroys ash trees has arrived in the Kansas City area, and officials in neighboring Kansas say they've been working to halt the pest's westward spread.
 
     The Missouri Department of Agriculture says the emerald ash borer, which eats and kills ash trees, has been found recently in Platte County. The insect was detected in southeast Missouri in 2008 and was first found in the U.S. in 2002 in Michigan. It's since spread to more than 15 states.
 
     The Kansas City Star reports that once the bug hits an ash tree, the tree will die.
 
     The Kansas Department of Agriculture says the ash borer isn't yet in Kansas, where the department has worked for years to prevent its spread.