If a downed tree has signs of EAB infestation should I avoid bringing it home where I have other ash already split and stacked? Or if there are still live ash trees around? Do I risk transporting it to my neighborhood? The downed tree is only a couple of miles from my house so I am sure EAB’s presence is already significant. Why does this creature like ash to begin with? Thanks.
I doubt EAB hasn’t made it to your neighborhood yet, or won’t. My parents trees didn’t show signs for several years while trees a few miles away were dead and dropping bark. Now their ash trees are all on the ground and being converted to firewood. I wouldn’t transport it several counties, but a couple miles won’t hurt I wouldn’t think.
I highly doubt it will affect the trees you have at home. That downed tree you say has signs of infestation. Does that mean it has the D shaped holes or the tree is already dead? Under the bark does it look like a crooked road map?
Being that the tree is so close to home, if the EAB is/was in that tree, it's already in your neighborhood. I can't see where bringing the wood home would make much difference. As to why they like Ash?? I don't have much on that other than either they've always thrived on Ash tree's, or adapted to thrive on Ash. Either way, they are on the move, and will likely not stop until they run out of good ash to infest.
The way it’s been explained to me is that the grubs that are tunneling around under the bark mature and chew the D shaped holes in late spring and come out of the tree as the adult borer beetle. They usually fly to the nearest ash tree and spend summer chewing up the leaves and such. Then late summer they lay eggs in the bark and the grubs hatch and chew into the tree and tunnel under the bark. Of course the cycle starts over and keeps on spreading. I took a few ash down for the same guy who told me this info over winter a few years back and he also made me leave the wood at his place until the following summer.
Most likely the larva have matured and left the tree so there not much chance of spreading them. If the EAB are in a tree within 5 miles of you they are most likely chewing away at your tree. Once these critters get started in an area there's no stopping them. By the time the tree shows signs of stress it's too late to save it.
It’s too bad. I’ve got lots of mature ash trees on my land and I’m sad to think it’s only a matter of time until they too are infested. Friggin bugs...
It’s sure sickening! I don’t think there’s one healthy tree in our area! Scary thing is the ones that are standing dead and failing all over the place causing damage.
If you are willing to spend a few bucks (I don't know how much), you can treat your trees if they are not already infested. This would have to continue essentially forever but possibly once the infestation kills all the trees in the area you could reduce the treatment frequency as there would be no bugs left. This insect pretty much eliminates all the adult trees and therefore all of its food. Most species of ash in North America seem to have no defense against this menace. It is from Asia brought here accidentally.
I've heard of this, but don't know how much it would cost. Like many, I have a LOT of ash on my property and would hate to see them decimated by the beetles. Although practically speaking in the same neighborhood, we are many miles apart. Our trees are still quite healthy, at least for now. When we had timbering done back in '10 they wanted to cut ALL the ash to prevent the EAB. For better or worse, I wouldn't let them because it would have practically decimated our woodlot. It may only be a matter of time, but I cannot/will not strip my property unless it truly becomes necessary. And what's left when something decides it likes to chew on the maples that I have left?? Barren hillside with a few pines and hickory. Not the place I want to live for sure.
Yep, free trade at it's finest. I'm sure the 'free market' will find a solution to this also, it seems to do so well for everything else. The world is an ever shrinking place, and some things will always be sacrificed in the quest for profits. That's why we have invasive carp species, as well as many other species in the waterways and lakes. They have no 'predators' here, so they thrive in an overabundance.
My Dad has one of his trees injected a few years back. I’m thinking around $150 and so far so good. The other 4 ash in the yard and the 100’s in the surrounding woods on the other hand.... there all toast!
If what you wanted to do was large scale, you could get your own pesticide applicators license and do the injections yourself. In your situation, I wouldn’t plan to save all of the ash trees but enough to keep an overstory for forest transition to another species mix. If they come up with something in the mean time to wipe out EAB, you would still have enough mature trees to repopulate your stands with ash.. Tree injection is a prohibitively expensive long term management strategy.. but it’s smart to use to fend off short term threats similar to gypsy moth infestations in yard trees.... do the math for what it would cost to have someone treat vs getting the education and license to do it yourself... on a larger scale, you will likely make out with the latter strategy. JRK Seed | Tree Injection TREE-äge Insecticide Treatment | EAB Solutions | Arborjet
Yup. Took the trip in wood made into shipping pallets, etc. Then started a feeding frenzy. So you can see now why the quarantine was put into effect. If EAB can use shipping pallets for relocation, they sure won't mind a little ride in the back of a pickup truck inside of firewood! Still not convinced? Try bringing a load of it into a State Park or across the Big Mac! (and don't forget to bring your wallet!)
Zebra mussels and goby are other examples in the Great Lakes. We have a cottage in upstate NY, and it seems that goby is all my kids can catch off our dock up there. The goby have eaten up the zebra mussels. And there are big concerns about how these species will and are impacting the food chain.
More info here... so $1500 for the application kit and $520 for treating 6-30 trees. Plus of course the cost of getting licensed to apply the stuff in your state.. TreeStuff - Tree-age Systemic Insecticide VERY IMPORTANT: Tree-age is a Restricted Use Pesticide. To purchase this product you must have a valid RUP applicator's license for your state of residence. Before purchasing please fax or e-mail us a copy of your license. Buy the general use Tree-age G4 without a Ristricted Use Pesticide license. Tree-age is applied as a trunk injection at the base of the tree. It is not sprayed on the tree nor applied to the soil. Like any systemic insecticide, this product must be transported through the trunk and into the canopy. Therefore, it will usually be more effective in a tree that is reasonably healthy than in a tree that has already been severely injured by EAB larvae. For effective treatment of the following pests: Pine Coneworm, Pine Cone Seed Bug, Bagworm, Fall Webworm, Gypsy Moth, Mimosa Webworm, Oak Worm, Tussock Moth, Leafminers, Honeylocust Plant Bug, Pine Needle Scale, Red Palm Mite, Sawfly, Tent Caterpillars, Western Spruce, Budworm, Winter Moth, Flatheaded borers (including adult and larvae of Emerald Ash Borer), Clearwing borers, Roundheaded borers, Scolytids (bark beetles), Ips Engraver Beetles, Mountain Pine Beetle, Southern Pine Beetle, Spruce Beetle, Western Pine Beetle, Pinewood Nematode Q. What container size does Tree-age come in? How many 8" DH trees would a container treat? The TreeStuff Experts answered: A. Arborjet's Tree-age comes in 1 Liter bottles (1000 ml). Tree-age is somewhat unique because there are four different usage rates for the arborist to choose from. Choose your rate based upon how long you want the tree to be protected from the Emerald Ash Borer. Tree-age is a relatively new control method, but recent university research suggests that the application may last up to three years at the higher rates. For example: At the lowest rate the liter bottle will treat thirty-three 10" DBH trees, but at the highest rate one bottle would treat just six 10" DBH trees. This gives the arborist flexibility to decide which rate works best for a given client's needs. You can see the full usage chart on page 3 of the special-use label.
If the the bug is already in the tree and has been there for most of the warm season, it's too late to save the tree. I believe most treatments are preventive in nature. Once the larva has damaged the membrane between the bark and the wood the tree is going to die no matter how much pesticide one pumps into it.
It's probably already there, BUT a huge for thinking about it! The Maine Forest Service set's up in the summer at the state lines with truckloads of camp fire wood to exchange it for free if you're carrying in out of state wood. But then........ there's tractor trailer loads of logs crossing state line's every day going each direction.
