Emerald ash borer in Minnesota means taking action now
As predicted, emerald ash borer (EAB) has not only reached Minnesota, the tiny beetles are infesting and killing untreated ash trees, and fast. Unfortunately the situation has reached a critical level in the Twin Cities.
It is very simple: if you have an ash tree and you would like to keep it, it has to be evaluated by a qualified arborist as soon as possible to see if it is a candidate to be treated.
If you do not want to treat the tree, it needs to be removed before it is infested and killed by emerald ash borer. There are a few critical reasons why this is the case:
The insect can be present in trees causing internal damage for four to five years before it shows outward signs, and then they tend to rapidly decline very quickly.
Insects kill the trees by eating through the conductive system, which is how trees get their water and nutrients. Once this begins to happen the tree becomes very dry and brittle and is tremendously prone to failure of large branches or the entire tree. The tree becomes a hazard.
It is important to remove ash trees before they get to the dry brittle stage as they can become an expensive, highly technical, complicated removal which involves large equipment in most cases.
There are only two options for ash trees: apply preventative treatment before EAB is present, or the trees will die. It has been a few years since EAB first spread to Minnesota, and trees that were treated early are still thriving. The window on the option to treat trees is closing, and that’s why it’s important to take action now.
Our ISA certified arborists can look at your ash trees and determine whether treatment is still an option, and if not, help with a plan for removal.
Or call us at (952) 933-0614
Read more about emerald ash borer (EAB) at the Hennepin County website: https://www.hennepin.us/ashtrees