EMERALD ASH BORER
June 11, 2012
Originally from Asia, emerald ash borer (EAB for short) was said to have arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes in 2002. Since then this invasive little pest has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees in the north eastern U.S. and Canada. Luckily this pest only attacks ash trees. Emerald Ash borer was identified in Ohio in 2003 in the Toledo area. Since then the EAB has been found through the entire state of Ohio. By my observations, it has been most recently identified in the Stow, Shaker Heights, and Parma areas. The adult beetle can only fly up to about a half mile from where it emerges but due to humans transporting firewood and nursery stock it has spread very rapidly in just 10 years.
The adult beetle doesn’t do much harm to the ash tree itself, it is actually the larvae feeding below the bark that harms the tree. The adults begin emerging mid-May and peak emergence is in late June. The females will then begin laying eggs about 2 weeks after emerging. The eggs will hatch within 2 weeks. That is when the larvae bore into the cambium layer, which is right under the bark and carries the trees nutrients. The larvae will feed there for several weeks, eventually reaching a size of about an inch to an inch and a quarter. The larvae will then overwinter in the tree until spring when pupation occurs and the life cycle begins again.
Some signs that your tree may be infested is a thinning canopy. The thinning occurs above where the infestation is. Due to the fact the larvae have eaten the conducting tissues of the tree. In some cases, the tree can have as much as one half of the branches die out in the first year and be completely dead in two years. Another sign is woodpecker boring holes. You can very rarely detect the emergence hole of the actual beetle but the woodpecker boring holes are very evident even from the ground.
Unfortunately this beetle will infest all ash trees in our area. It is inevitable based on the beetles history. The best thing we all can do to help is monitor our ash trees for signs and symptoms. Also buy and sell your firewood locally. The entire state is under quarantine, so technically you can move ash materials with in the state. But why help the pest spread.
The best way to protect your ash trees is to treat them before they are infested. Generally by the time you see signs the tree is infested it’s too late. As a rule of thumb if more than 50 percent of the canopy is dead or dying back it’s too late. There are many resources online to find out more on EAB. If you aren’t sure if you have ash trees on your property, give us a call. Let us give you a free consultation.
TRAVELING WITH THE “GREEN MENACE”: EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE 2014
July 1, 2014
The summer season increases the risk of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) exposure. EAB is now confirmed to be in 21 states, Ohio being among them, and has also been detected in Canada.
As the summer tourism season is underway, many of us may be visiting states not yet under attack by the destructive Ash Borer and the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is asking that we use caution when traveling. “As people travel and make trip plans for the summer, the chances escalate for EAB movement to unaffected areas, especially when people transport firewood” says Jim Skiera, ISA Executive Director. If a camping trip is on your travel plans, please don’t pack firewood with you, but purchase a local wood source from your destination area; this small gesture can have huge effects, detrimental or beneficial. Remember this beetle traveled here all the way from Asia, it is small and easily undetected and it wouldn’t take much for an innocent traveler to move it from state to state.
The ISA also recommends pretreatment programs. There are ways to protect your Ash trees before they become infected with EAB. If you would like to consult with one of our certified arborists to discuss proactive measures to curb infestation, contact Independent Tree Service at 440-564-1374 or info@independenttree.com.
THE SCOOP ON EMERALD ASH BORER, AKA “THE GREEN MENACE”
April 15, 2015
If you or any of your friends and family members have ash trees on your property, you may have heard of Emerald Ash Borer, also known as “The Green Menace.” This invasive species is extremely detrimental to ash trees. While large-scale efforts continue to battle the pest in order to protect the several billion ash trees in Ohio, there are steps you can take to treat and protect your own trees. First, it is important to understand what Emerald Ash Borer is, as well as being able to recognize evidence of an infestation.
What is Emerald Ash Borer?
The emerald ash borer is a metallic green beetle that is native to Asia. It was first discovered in the United States in 2002, after being accidentally carried to the U.S. in shipping materials. Outside of its native country, the emerald ash borer is considered an invasive species and is extremely destructive to ash trees. It is currently found in the Midwest and Northeast areas of the United States.
How do they harm my trees?
The adult emerald ash borer emerge from ash tree limbs & trunks and begin to fly in early May thru June. When the adults emerge, they fly up to 10 miles to other Ash tree canopies to feed on the leaves. This is unsightly, but not the major cause of damage to the trees. During this time, the beetle are also mating and will deposit as many as 100 eggs per insect. The eggs hatch larvae, which are white and legless with bell-shaped body segments. These larvae are destructive as they bore through ash tree bark and eat away at the tree’s vascular tissue. This creates tunnels under the bark that will increase in size as the larva grow, furthering the damage to the trees.
What are the signs?
You will begin to see split bark on your trees, revealing the tunnels creating by the Emerald Ash Borer larvae. These tunnels usually look serpentine, like a snake, and weave back and forth across the expanse of the tree. Another telling sign of Emerald Ash Borer is noticing woodpeckers in your trees. Woodpeckers feed on Emerald Ash Borer larvae. Even if you do not see the woodpecker in action, you may notice the large holes & bark stripping in the tree created when the birds eat the insects.
How can I protect my trees?
Trees should be treated between early May and mid-June, around the time that the adult emerald ash borer emerge. Trees that are treated early have a stronger chance of surviving the disease.
Unfortunately Emerald Ash Borer is here. Worried that one of your ash trees is infected? Call Independent Tree today for an expert consultation or to schedule a treatment for your ash trees.
REMINDER: SCHEDULE YOUR EMERALD ASH BORER TREATMENT!
May 16, 2016
Have your ash trees been treated to control Emerald Ash Borer?
When the soil temperatures rise in Northeast Ohio, the adult Emerald Ash Borer insects, recognizable by their dark metallic green exterior, will begin to emerge from your dormant ash trees. As soon as they emerge, they will begin feeding on the leaves of your trees. Then, they will begin to mate, depositing more than 100 eggs per insect. Once these eggs hatch, the larvae eats the vascular tissue then adults “bore” through the bark of the ash tree, hence the name, “Emerald Ash Borer.”
The best action you can take to protect your trees is to control the larvae before they kill your Ash tree. Independent Tree is performing Ash tree assessments to see if treatment is the right course of action. Call today to reserve your appointment, and take an important step in caring for your trees.
WORRIED ABOUT EMERALD ASH BORER?
As the soil temperature increases, the adult emerald ash borer insects are beginning to emerge from the trunks of dormant ash trees. Immediately after emergence they fly up into the canopy of the trees and begin feeding on the leaves. This isn’t good news. Within a week of their spring emergence the borers will begin mating, resulting in the deposit of up to 100 eggs per insect within about two to three weeks. As the eggs hatch the larvae will bore through the bark of the ash tree they are born on and eat at the vascular tissue creating galleries (or tunnels) that enlarge as the larvae grow creating more damage to the tree.
How are trees treated to deal with Emerald Ash Borer? The treatment is injected directly into the vascular system of the tree and then carried through the entire tree. These treatments are quite effective unless there is already substantial damage to the tree from the larvae. As you can imagine, the earlier the trees are treated, the better the chance of survival. The best time to treat ash trees is from early May to mid-June. The best way to protect your trees is to treat them prior to seeing the signs.
Here are some quick facts about Emerald Ash Borer:
• Emerald Ash Borer only attacks Ash trees.
• Once trees are infested, they will die within 1-2 years.
• Adults are metallic green and about one half inch long.
• They leave a D-shaped hole upon emergence in spring.
• Woodpeckers love EAB larvae. If you have woodpecker damage in your ash trees you have an infestation.
• Firewood contaminated by EAB damage cannot be moved in many areas due to a quarantine.
• Visit www.emeraldashborer.info for more information.
