Protect Your Trees From the Emerald Ash Borer!

The emerald ash borer infestations are nearly identical to those we often see on ash that are infested or infected by other pests and diseases commonly found in Vermont. If your trees are an asset in your landscape contact us.

We're prepared to provide you with a NO-OBLIGATION ash tree inspection and service quotation. You can depend on M.J. Cullen and Ash Tree Medics to help save your ash trees.

With thousands of ash trees destroyed across North America since 2002, the need for an effective emerald ash borer treatment is more pressing than ever. There are roughly seven billion ash trees across North America and these trees are one of the dominant species in our forests and urban and suburban canopies. The speed with which emerald ash borers breed, feed and spread places our entire population of ash trees under threat.

Agrilus planipennus, commonly known as the emerald ash borer, is a kind of beetle that is native to northeastern Asia and, as its name suggests, feeds exclusively on ash trees. It was found in North America only in 2002 and there was very little research into its life cycle and habits up to that time. Outside of its native range, it is a highly destructive pest and has resulted in the near decimation of large numbers of ash trees throughout North America and Europe. Much of the research being done today is funded by local, state, and provincial governments on the continent, with a view to containing the insect’s spread and preventing further destruction of the native ash population. Although we identify the species by its adult form, it is actually the larvae that cause the damage.

The emerald ash borer has a distinctive, even beautiful, jewel-like appearance. Adult beetles are about  half an inch in length and very thin. They have an unmistakable metallic green

 color with some copper hues. When the wings and elytra (the hard outer wing) are spread, the bright red of the beetle’s abdomen becomes visible. Despite their very distinctive appearance, there is still a tendency for adults of other species to be misidentified as emerald ash borers.

As a result of all the research that has gone into this species and its life cycles and habits, preventative treatments have been developed that have proven very effective in keeping ash trees safe from infestation. These should be applied by professionals as there are many factors to be considered. The health of the tree needs to be assessed to see whether it can effectively be preserved. In some cases, the infestation may be too far gone. Ash trees that have not yet been infested, or those where the infestation has not developed too far, can be treated with a variety of preventative measures. These include soil injection, trunk injection, bark spray and canopy spray. The injection methods are the most common, as they deliver the product directly into the tissue of the tree, allowing them to then be spread throughout the canopy by the tree’s natural transpiration movements. If you are concerned about ash borer infestation, call a professional immediately to assess your trees.

The most common way to control emerald ash borer is by means of the soil or trunk injection methods mentioned above. Diluted insecticides, which are selected for being non-toxic to the trees, are injected into the soil of the trunk and are then spread throughout the plant in its water supply. As the larvae feed on the bark and phloem tissues, they consume the insecticide and die. The majority of chemicals that are used for this are not approved for use by homeowners, and need to be administered by professional pest control services.