Ash borer is here, looking for advice on a small stand of green ash.

Hello all,
I own a 7 acre property located in northeast Wisconsin, the back of my property has a densely populated stand of Ash only trees(approx 3 acres) with smaller diameter 4" to 12" trees that are tall and straight located in a low area that isn't a swamp but is moist year round. I have been watching for signs of the EAB for the last few years, It's here now... I am noticing the crowns of the trees are not full and kinda sick looking.
I am looking for ideas from folks that have experience with this. I burn about three cords of wood per year that i scroung or get from my overgrown yard trees. As of right now i am thinking of starting to harvest ash from that area for my firewood needs.
So my big question is -Should i let the ash regenerate new trees from the stumps i start cutting down this fall or should i be spraying the stumps with a herbicide to prevent new growth and then just start planting replacement trees of some other species?
Any thoughts on a tree replacement for green ash? Anyone have any experience with swamp white oak trees?
I assume my best use of this wood is for firewood, i doubt anyone would want such a small logging job around here and be in my favor. Thanks in advance for you thoughts!

 

(In my UNprofessional opinion) I’d give the trees a chance, but that’s just me. Some people would argue you’re just sustaining future EAB populations, but the counter argument can be made that you’re preserving genetic diversity which could (possibly) help bring them back. As far as what to replace them with, red maple is a good native pioneering tree.

 

The bug needs mature trees to survive, leave a few smaller trees and let nature run its course.

 

I read an article somewhere that some younger Green Ash trees were showing some resilience to the ash borer. I will try to find it & post a link.

 

Cut them. If they are showing signs, they have been infested longer than you think.

 

I would spray and treat the smaller ones maybe even a few bigger ones depending on how they look. The rest I would unfortunately say cut down asap.

 

Here are some articles I read:
https://phys.org/news/2019-09-ash-tree-species-survive-emerald.html

https://phys.org/news/2019-07-green-ash-trees-resistance-emerald.html


https://phys.org/news/2015-09-wasps-ash-killing-beetles.html

 

I have tons of dead ash trees on the property. I burn a ton of it. I have some small diameter survivors. My forester told me I may as well cut them as they will eventually die anyway, but I chose the wait and see approach. I figure I can always cut it down later.

 

Tough to cut a small live tree for me to. Goes against the grain so to speak..... I do also understand the bugs go for the more mature Ash however. Time will tell. Good luck. I just finished 2 hrs of splitting Ash. Got to hot out!

 

There was a program that VA dept of forestry had where landowners could get cost share for some kind of spray treatment for the ash borer. I don't know the details of what our state "offered", but it may be worth looking into for your neck of the woods...

 

All my mature ones have been cut for years since we’re ground zero in Mi. I have countless smaller ones growing. I see no reason to cut them before they die to the bug. Figure the longer I can leave them they will increase in size and provide more firewood.

 

Thank you all for the good info. I think i will just start harvesting out the larger trees leaving some small ones that are still living. Then next spring i will start planting in some replacement trees like the red maple and swamp white oak.
Several years ago, I read in a Norwegian firewood book that Ash trees will sprout new chutes on the fresh cut stumps if the stumps were let 12" or 14" high then one could cut all the chutes but one to allow a new tree to live on the root system of the previous tree at an accelerated rate. Anyone have experience with that? I will leave some stumps tall and see i guess.
Also, I have some yard trees that don't appear to be affected yet, does anyone have any suggestions on the chemical i would need to treat them??
Thanks Again! Jason

 

We'v been hit hard by the borer. I would agree that starting harvesting now of the bigger ones is a good plan. I waited to harvest after they were completely dead and have had many begin rotting and fall on their own, once on the ground, they get punky real fast. I wish I had started harvesting earlier because they will die. Last I checked into treatment for them, it was way more expensive than I was able to afford and it seemed like a delaying tactic as opposed to a true cure. Maybe this has changed over the last couple years, but I've heard no positive solutions.

 

If the crown is stressed then it's, most likely too late to save them. Last I heard is you have to be certified to use the treatment. Used to be $150 a tree around here some years ago. You had to have the trees injected more than one season. Very few people I know put out the dough to save their trees.

 

It’s called coppicing. It works only for some species…not sure if ash is one of them

 

They are drench treating them around here. They claim it works best on trees under a certain diameter, 18” if I remember correctly. I believe it’s about $500 per tree per year.

 

Treatment might be practical for a yard tree or two but not a wood lot. My SIL in Ohio treated a yard tree with injections and it was heathy when they moved.

 

I’ve seen healthy Ash trees cut at ground level grow suckers and I’ve seen dying trees grow root and basal sprouts. As long as the tree has energy it’s going to try to survive. If the tree is bark falling off dead, there may be nothing left to grow a sucker.