Emerald Ash Borers: A Pain In The Ash Tree

You likely appreciate the trees in your yard that belong to the ash species, or you wouldn't have them. But your beloved trees need more than regular watering. They also need for you to educate yourself on the various threats that they need to be protected from, and then they need you to take the appropriate steps to protect them from those threats. One of the threats to your trees comes in the form of a beetle: the emerald ash beetle. You can learn more about this dangerous beetle in this article, so you will have a better chance of keeping your trees healthy and in great condition. Here is some information on emerald ash borer prevention and treatment.

How does the emerald ash borer damage the tree?

A female emerald ash borer will find crevices in the bark of an ash tree, and she will lay her eggs in those crevices. When the eggs hatch, there will be larvae that will damage the tree because they will burrow through the tree, creating tunnels all through it that weaken the tree and prevent it from being able to get the proper amount of water and nutrients that it needs. Without the ability to take in the water and nutrients, the tree will eventually die.

If one tree is affected, does it mean all of your trees are in danger?

It's very important for you to try to prevent an issue with the emerald ash borer and to make sure you act quickly if you do suspect them in one of your trees. When there are emerald ash borers found to be in one tree, that means that all of the trees from the ash species that are located within about 15 miles of that tree will be in danger of having emerald ash borers attacking them as well.

What can be done about an infested tree?

Should you find a tree on your property that is infested with the emerald ash borer, you are going to want to act right away for the sake of your tree. If the problem is found and treated soon enough, then it can be possible to save the tree. However, if the damage is too much, then tree removal is what is going to need to happen for a couple of reasons. For one thing, if the tree cannot be saved through treatment, then it means it is going to die, and this can create a safety hazard since a dead tree will fall at some point — and you have no control over who gets hurt or what gets damaged if it does fall. Also, leaving the tree in place with that serious of an infestation is going to put all of the ash trees in the area at risk of also ending up infested.

Conclusion

If you have ash trees and you know that someone in your area has been dealing with emerald ash borers, then you are going to want to call a tree service out to your home in order to take measures to prevent your trees from coming under attack.


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