Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) – Silent Killer has arrived!
REMEMBER THESE FROM LAST SUMMER? Installed throughout Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton Counties in PA to detect the presence of EAB (Emerald Ash Borer), they were largely worthless except as conversation pieces. Fortunately (and regrettably), an alert Arborist detected signs of infestation in Bucks County, and experts on Tuesday, March 13th have confirmed the earlier-than-expected arrival of this deadly menace.
SO WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? While one might argue that this Asian pest could have arrived in the U.S. as early as the ’40s from wooden shipping crates, identification came in 2002 in Michigan, and the iridescent little thing has been moving steadily since then. Estimates vary, but more than 40 million (yes, MILLION) Ash trees are gone – wiped out – and while experts are working frantically to introduce natural combatants to slow the progress, prevention versus cure is a conversation any homeowner with treasured Ash trees should have with a professional. Good news? Woodpeckers feed on the larva. Bad news? They do their own version of heavy damage to the tree as they forage and they can’t keep up with the menace.
Take a look at the EAB at right. There are several look alikes so it’s Imageeasy for a non professional to become confused. But the damage they do is unmistakable. The larva create ‘galleries’ (tunnels) beneath the bark, making it very difficult to know they are there. By the time an infected tree shows signs of crown dieback, epicormic branching or bark splitting, it’s probably been affected for 3 years or more and even herculean efforts to save it will probably prove fruitless. Any more good news, you ask? Actually, yes. While there seems to be no stopping this killer, protection through what one might consider ‘tree immunization’ is definitely possible to save those cherished Ash trees. Arboricultural professionals are uniquely positioned to use specialized techniques and chemicals to bolster protection through systemic soil applications and direct tree injections (yes really, tree ‘injections’….some pretty cool stuff). Several years of treatments and keeping that Ash fertilized and healthy in the process is necessary to save these magnificent trees. There is no time to lose, and professionals recommend you act now, meaning RIGHT NOW. DO I HAVE ASH TREES? Don’t know if you have Ash on your property? While a site visit from a Certified Arborist will guarantee positive identification, immature Ash have smooth mottled bark while mature trees have diamond shaped ridges that are deeply etched. Compound leaflets having anywhere from five to eleven leaves, like the one pictured, are easily confused with other tree species so care is needed for accurate ID.
Want more info? Penn State Cooperative Extension to the rescue! Check out their thorough treatise on the subject here. And in case you didn’t know, Pennsylvania is under quarantine and no firewood is permitted to be transported into the state. This will continue for the foreseeable future. Got Ash in your firewood pile now? Don’t move it – burn it! Buying firewood for next season? Don’t just buy mixed hardwood. Specify that no Ash be part of your woodpile, and you just might get through this unscathed.