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Emerald Ash Borer
Some of our public tree are being treated for Emerald Ash Borer! About 32 public ash trees received their first dose of treatment in 2022 and 27 public ash trees are scheduled to receive their first dose of treatment in 2023. Trees selected for treatment this spring have been flagged with white ribbon.
Injection treatment is a critical piece of the City’s EAB management plan. Emamectin benzoate is injected into the trunk of the tree, which systemically targets the beetle larvae. This treatment method poses very little environmental risk! Direct injection prevents soil leaching. Ash trees use the wind for pollination, which means that no beneficial insects are affected inadvertently. Trees selected for treatment will be protected as long as they remain viable.
What is EAB?
The EAB is a small invasive green beetle that infests and kills all American Ash trees. The larvae of these shiny green beetles tunnel beneath the bark of ash trees and gnaws away at the living tissue of ash trees until the tree eventually dies, usually 2 to 4 years after being infected.
We encourage you to keep an eye on your Ash trees this spring/summer. If the tree canopy comes back, your Ash tree is a good candidate for treatment, not removal. You may notice some ash trees will not come back with a full canopy, this means your Ash tree may be infested with EAB. You can confirm if your tree has EAB with a licensed contractor or certified arborist.
If you want to treat your Ash trees for EAB, the City has an agreement with Rainbow Treecare for a reduced price.
Trees are selected for treatment based on the following criteria:
- Current health of the tree
- The anticipated mature size of the tree
- Surrounding canopy cover (or lack thereof)
- Proximity to other preserved ash