The importance of treating or removing your ash tree’s

Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire is a destructive wood-boring pest of ash trees (Fraxinus spp.). Native to China, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Russian Far East. It is an exotic beetle that was discovered in southeastern Michigan near Detroit in the summer of 2002 since then it is spreading like wild fire across the United States reaching 36 states and the District of Columbia; Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, yet the Canadian provinces of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Manitoba. Research with estimates have been documented that more than 100’s of million trees have been killed so far due the borer. With the cost of damage ranging over 10.7 billion to homeowners states and municipalities.

It is fully up to the property and homeowners, yet States and municipalities to do something about their healthy trees or they will ultimately die. The only thing that a property owner can do is to have the healthy trees treated with insecticides. Insecticides are pesticides that are used to repel, harm, kill or mitigate one or more species of insects. To do this the insecticide will disrupt the nervous system or damage the exoskeleton of the particular insect species.

Why are infested trees so dangerous?        

When an Ash tree gets infected with the Emerald Ash Borer the structural integrity and strength of the tree begins to decline rapidly as the trees vascular system gets girdled. When trees gets infected with the borer the entire living components of the tree begins to dry out. Soon following the loss of moisture, the trunk, leads, limbs and branches will fail or break at any given moment which can increase the chance of property damage with harm or injury to people.

I would like to note that an Ash tree full of life, yet completely healthy when cut down will season in 60 days. That being said it is one of the fastest seasoning tree species, so when they are infested with the borer they can season standing just as quickly depending on the amount of infestation. That is why it is so important to have your trees removed if they are on the demise.

The reason why infested Ash trees are more costly to have removed.                      

After an Ash tree has been infected by the (EAB) they lose moisture quickly where they then become very brittle. That being said, it is no longer safe for an arborist to climb these dead trees anymore therefore the only way to safely remove them is by heavy equipment that have hydraulic lifts such as bucket trucks, trailer lifts, or scissor lifts that are extremely expensive to purchase, move around, yet operate. To remove a dead tree it will often cost 2 to 3 times as much as a lively healthy tree.

Most oftenly a tree has to removed using ropes which is called rigging, but after a tree is dead it is no longer safe to rope down these dead trees because shock load occurs when a tree gets roped down and it might not have the strength to carry the shock load. This will very well cause the section of tree that an arborist is roping from to break off in the process.

The best way to remove an infested Ash tree is to do it before the tree is dead while their is still foliage on the tree, but more often then not I see homeowners, municipalities and states not doing anything about it. This is NO small scale problem which NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH!!!! That to me is irresponsible because although the homeowner did not cause the borer to arrive here let alone in their trees that gets infested it is still your tree that should be dealt with accordingly.

Conclusion.                        

Once the Emerald Ash Borer arrived here near Detroit Michigan In the summer or 2002 it has now spread to 36 of the 50 United States and 5 Providences in Canada. It has killed hundreds of millions of healthy Ash trees, yet has a rough cost estimate of 10.7 billion dollars to the states, municipalities and homeowners. This is NO small scale problem with the potential to cause extinction to ash trees! We all need to do are part to help the beautiful ash tree hardwood species to NOT become extinct!!! If you would like me to check out your property to give my advice please leave a comment or question so I can get back to you as soon as possible.