Almost 100 public ash trees in the City of Wayzata are protected from Emerald Ash Borer. Protected trees are tagged for biannual treatment, which will continue as long as the tree is viable.
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 are also wind-pollinated, which means that no beneficial insects are affected inadvertently.
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 gnaw away at living tissue until the tree eventually dies, usually 2 to 4 years after being infested.
We encourage you to keep an eye on your ash trees this spring/summer. If the tree canopy comes back, your ash tree might be a good candidate for treatment, not removal. You may notice some ash trees will not come back with a full canopy – this means it may be infested with EAB. You can confirm if your tree has EAB with a licensed contractor or certified arborist.