This is up the hill where I was digging today, it looks like an Ash. Once I get the area at the bottom of the hill cleaned up, I'll get it down. The Ash is topped off.
If it is an ash that's not a good sign. You're not in the quarantine zone there are you Zap? Of course having a broken top, there could be other bugs going after it. Probably best to cut her down and inspect under the bark for galleries. EAB starts at the top of the tree and works it's way down.
They say EAB isn't here but I talked with some loggers four years ago who work this county and they said EAB is here.
Looks like every dead ash on my place. Look for alternate branching to be sure. Careful when you drop it, the tops can be as fragile and brittle as fine crystal. The tops usually shatter when they hit the ground and sometimes limbs come down from the saw's vibration.
I'll be finishing a few jobs in the backyard and then I'll be doing some cleanup at the base of that hill before I fell it, I'll have pictures.
If you can positively ID it, in my opinion it's important to report it to the DEC so they can track its progress. Look For and Report EAB - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation They changed the law recently and there's no longer a restriction on transporting infested material within the quarantine zone. I'm guessing the former restriction is why the loggers didn't want to report it.
It will be easy enough to tell if it's EAB. All you have to do is yank a piece of bark off, probably with just your fingers, and that will tell the whole story.
Just found out that EAB is present in my neck of the woods. Found in the next town over a couple years ago in small numbers. Just a matter of time, I guess. The lake up the road was named Ashmere some years ago by William Cullen Bryant when he rode a buggy through our little town for some camping and relaxation. Tons of ash around here - hope a solution is found before we lose em all.
As I understand it, the D hole is caused by the critter leaving after it reaches a certain point in its development. The female lays eggs and any crack in the bark, then the larvae hatch and begin eating the membrane between the bark and the wood which is what kills the tree.
Eab? = Emerald Ash Borer. Nasty little pest. No good way to stop it, and it pretty much wipes out all Ash trees wherever it shows up.
EAB has been reported in the area, but no sign of it locally. I have a few ash trees around. One that shades a wall of windows during the summer. Will be a shame if/when it gets infected. We'll just enjoy it, until that time. No sense worrying about what I have no control over Sent from my SM-T280 using Tapatalk
