Untreated vs. treated tree

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a threat to all Ash trees. Nevertheless, while this invasive species related to the beetle is highly invasive and aggressive, it can be spotted, prevented and even treated in many cases.

Particularly if you catch an EAB infestation at a reasonably early stage and work proactively, there may be a chance of saving the Ash trees on your property.

As mighty as an Ash tree may appear, it can be brought down surprisingly easily by these tiny but incredibly dangerous little insects.

Just take a look at the photo to the right, which features one tree that was treated for EAB infestation and one that wasn’t, to get a sense of the level of destruction these pests are capable of causing.

What is an Emerald Ash Borer?

The Emerald Ash Borer, also known as agrilus planipennis, or EAB for short, is a beetle that is native to Eastern Russia and much of Asia. It’s smaller than a penny, and has a bright and shiny green body.

EABs have been introduced to many parts of the world by accident through the use of Ash wood in shipping materials such as crates and pallets.

Emerald Ash Borers are an invasive species, and they quickly become entrenched in areas once they have been introduced.

While population densities in the EABs’ native areas rarely reach levels that are lethal to a healthy tree, in the rest of the world—including right here in Bucks County and Montgomery County—populations can surge and massive damage to Ash trees can occur.

What Do EABs Feed On?

The preferred meal of an Emerald Ash Borer is any kind of Ash species. Some of its preferences include Black Ash, Blue Ash, Green Ash and White ash trees. The larva of the EAB will feed on the tree until it disrupts the nutrients and the water the tree needs to stay alive, ultimately girding it and causing the tree to die of effective starvation.

It has been observed that EABs will occasionally infest White Fringetree, which could imply that under certain circumstances other trees may be effective substitutes in the Emerald Ash Borer’s diet.

Can Ash Trees Survive an Infestation on Their Own?

In the native environment of Emerald Ash Borers, most trees actually survive the infestations. There, the natural balance of EAB and their predators, as well as the natural resistance in the native Ash trees, keep the Emerald Ash Borers down to a reasonable level that is rarely fatal to the trees. Unfortunately, this balance does not exist in most places in the world.

Because of this lack of balance and predators, Emerald Ash Borers are typically capable of killing American and many Chinese Ash trees within 10 years if no measures are taken to stop the spread and kill the existing infestation.

There are some climates in which the Ash Borer may be kept down. Often these are colder climates in which the EAB is kept from a sufficient temperature to develop effectively through its pupal state, which causes much of the population to die out before reaching maturity and mating. However, in much of North America (Eastern Pennsylvania included) the temperatures are high enough that natural EAB predators can’t be counted on to save your Ash trees. You must take proactive measures.

How Can You Protect Your Trees?

You can often transport Emerald Ash Borers without even knowing it. There are a number of different ways to keep that from happening.

⇒ To start with, keep your firewood as local as you can. The generally agreed upon advice is to “burn it where you buy it” instead of transporting firewood across state or county lines.

⇒ Larval beetles can survive for months, and in some cases even more than a year, inside the wood of a cut down tree, and will emerge as mature beetles to infest other trees. Even on your property, keeping your wood in a central location far from any Ash trees is a step you can take to protect the trees.

⇒ Burning your firewood reasonably close to the pile is also a step in the protective direction.

⇒ As well, burning the last of your firewood prior to spring is a good way to prevent any beetles from emerging and infesting your trees.

⇒ Finally, if you suspect you or someone else may have Emerald Ash Borers, contact a certified arborist, such as Peter Benz, who can take further action. Peter Benz is also a Pennsylvania State Certified Commercial Pesticide and Herbicide Applicator.

How Can You Identify EABs?

Adult Emerald Ash Borers have bright green bodies with a coppery red underbelly. They will often lay numerous eggs within the bark of trees, and these eggs will start out white. Fertile eggs turn brown, and any egg sightings are reasonably certain signs of infestation.

Also, any crown dieback, bark splits, or excessive new sprouting can be signs of infestation. Winding larval galleries and emergence holes shaped like the letter “D” are also signs.

Treating EAB Infestation

Injecting pesticides can absolutely be a viable option to protect your trees. If there has been a report of EAB activity within 15 miles, this can be a valuable measure. Purdue University has released this guide, which contains a wide range of insecticide options fro protecting Ash trees from the EAB. You can learn more in this report (PDF).

If you suspect you may have EABs, contact us at Peter Benz Landscaping today for details about how you can save your ash trees.

The Peter Benz Landscaping team will inspect your trees and see whether they are candidates for EAB treatment. Peter Benz landscaping will provide you with a proven and safe treatment plan that is guaranteed.

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There were thousands of D-shaped exit wounds where the females emerged to either lay more eggs further down the tree, or fly off to other Ash trees and lay eggs in the tops of those trees. It was estimated that these trees had suffered three years of activity by the time these pictures were taken. They were cut down soon after.

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The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a classic example of how invasive species thrive. This tiny green beetle is native to Asia and wasn’t seen in the United States until 2002, when it was discovered by Michigan foresters.

Research indicates that the beetle was mistakenly introduced to the country via shipping materials. Since then, the flying green beetles have spread east, including into the state of Pennsylvania. Its presence was documented in Warrington, PA in the spring of 2012, and it has since spread throughout the Bucks County and Montgomery County areas.

At this point, it is believed that these insects are now in our local wood products, such as mulch and wood chips, and are expected to continue to spread rapidly. The Emerald Ash Borer feed on Ash trees, where they lay their eggs in bark crevices. And unfortunately, if something isn’t done about these destructive pests soon, there won’t be any Ash trees left.

EAB has already been responsible for the loss of millions of Ash trees in North America, and at the current rate, there’s every reason to imagine that the Emerald Ash Borer could cause the Ash tree to become an extinct species.

If you have Ash trees on your property, it’s time to meet with a certified arborist to discuss your options.

What Do Emerald Ash Borers Do?

What is interesting about Emerald Ash Borer beetles is that in their adult form, they don’t actually harm your Ash trees. Instead, it’s the beetles’ larvae that does all the damage.

The larvae feeds on the cambium of the Ash tree, cutting off the vascular flow, which is needed to transport water and nutrients for survival. As time goes on and the tree continues to feed the larvae, its own energy becomes depleted until the tree effectively starves to death. Most trees die within three to five years of the first batch of Emerald Ash Borer eggs being laid in it.

Click to see how Emerald Ash Borer kills an Ash tree (PDF)

The Time to Stop the Infestation is Now!

The time to do something about Emerald Ash Borers is long before you see them in any Ash trees you have on your property.

Signs of EAB in Ash trees are not normally noticed until well into the second year, or even the third year, of feeding. At this point, even if the tree can be saved, it may not be worth saving, since the top 25 to 30 percent of the canopy will most likely need to be removed.

Peter Benz Landscaping can inspect the Ash trees in your yard and tell you whether or not they’re good candidates for Emerald Ash Borer treatment. There are three treatment options currently available for treating EAB in Ash trees. The size and health of the trees are considered, along with whether the borer has been detected in the canopy or not.

These factors, along with the time of year, are all taken into account by Peter Benz, a certified arborist. Peter Benz Landscaping offers a proven, highly effective treatment plan that comes with an exclusive protection guarantee. Please contact us for details about this program.

The good news is that once the Ash trees in your yard have been treated to survive an attack, you won’t have to worry about them anytime soon. Once applied, the tree remains protected against attack for one to two years, depending on the chosen treatment plan.

What to Do About Trees that Have Already Been Infested

If it is decided, after a property analysis, that some of your Ash trees are not worth saving, a plan for removing untreated Ash trees should be discussed. The initial eggs are laid near the top of the Ash trees. The next generation of eggs will be laid further down the trees. As the vascular flow is cut off by the Emerald Ash Borer and the trees die from the top down, they quickly becoming a climbing hazard and may be more expensive to have safely removed by professionals. In many cases, the use of expensive equipment, such as bucket trucks or cranes, may be required for removal.

Quite often, it is much more cost effective to save the Ash trees from Emerald Ash Borer infestation than to cut them down after infestation has occurred.

The good news is that our Ash trees will not have to be treated forever. Already, in parts of the Midwest, arborists are starting to back off on their EAB applications. The Emerald Ash Borer has basically eaten itself out of a food source in these areas. The Ash trees in Bucks and Montgomery Counties that are treated properly and in time will make it through this attack.

Please contact us if you’d like more information about how we can help you protect your trees from the Emerald Ash Borer.

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Emerald Ash Borer Homeowners Checklist (PDF)

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