Emerald Ash Borer Update October 2010
EMERALD ASH BORER UPDATE
The Village Services Forestry Division continues to monitor the extent of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation throughout town. Recently Forestry staff visually confirmed an additional 20 village-owned trees with EAB, which brings the total confirmed 70 trees since the first visual confirmation in Spring 2010. There are confirmed infestations of village-owned ash trees on the west side of the Village in the subdivisions and parkways along the Springfield Drive corridor and subdivisions immediately east, as well as in subdivisions in the central and eastern parts of the Village. The Village's ash tree inventory totals approximately 2400, about 24% of the total village-owned tree inventory of 10,334.
With the guidance of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDA), the Village has developed the following response to a confirmed infestation of EAB of Village-owned trees. The Forestry Division will be:
- Surveying and inspecting the trees on an ongoing basis, prioritizing those showing stress.
- Removing infested trees to slow the spread.
- Implementing a 15-year removal and replacement plan anticipating that the EAB infestation will affect the entire village ash population and recognizing that the Village has a large number of ash trees with concentrations in a number of neighborhoods.
- Planting replacements of infested trees in either spring or fall with a diversity of species not susceptible to EAB.
- Attempting to replace a tree removed within one year of removal.
- Pilot testing insecticidal treatments on a limited basis as the science to thwart the infestation evolves.
- Completing replacement of trees infested by the EAB as a priority over infill trees and other replacements, as funds are available.
- Prohibiting planting Ash trees (Fraxinus species) on any property for any reason within the municipal boundaries of the Village of Bloomingdale.
In addition, the infested trees removed will be chipped and/or tub ground pursuant to IDA recommended practices. Ash tree tub ground mulch product is considered safe for use. Therefore both Village programs of applying mulch products and offering tub ground mulch products for pick-up will continue.
Although replacing the village-owned trees infested with EAB will take priority, the Village will continue its program of planting trees where empty spaces in parkways permit, as well as continue to plant replacements of trees that die for other reasons, as funds permit.
All property owners should also be aware and vigilant, inspecting their own ash trees for signs of infestation. Signs and symptoms of EAB include:
- Canopy dieback - thinning of the canopy throughout, which may start from the tips of the tree. Initial stages may be difficult to see from the ground.
- Sprouts growing from roots and trunk.
- Splitting bark.
- Serpentine galleries viewed if bark is removed.
- Very small D-shaped exit holes which are difficult to see.
- Increased woodpecker activity/damage.
Here are links to help you determine if you have ash trees on your property:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/E2892Ash1.pdf
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/E2942.pdf
Here is a link to help identify signs and symptoms of EAB infestation:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/E-2938.pdf
If you suspect that your ash tree has EAB, contact the Public Works Forestry Division at 630-671-5800, or the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture hotline at 800-641-3934. If the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture confirms your ash tree has EAB, please contact the Public Works Forestry Division, to help us monitor the spread of EAB in town.
If your tree is infested with EAB, owners can consider the following Response Options:
1. Tree Removal/Replanting - Consider whether ash trees on your property are worth protecting. Trees enhance a property's value, but it may be more cost effective to replace a small or struggling ash tree than to pay the cost of ongoing treatments. In addition, trees in poor or declining health are not likely to respond well to insecticide treatments.
Tree removal requires retaining an EAB-compliant vendor in your area who knows how to properly handle and destroy the ash wood in order to minimize the spread of EAB. Here is a link to EAB-compliant vendors (click on the county column to sort by county): http://www.agr.state.il.us/eab/index.php?pg=6
2. Treatment - Requires a long-term commitment. Once EAB arrives, it will remain a constant threat to ash trees for many years to come. It is likely that protective treatments will be needed for the rest of the tree's life. Optimal timing for most treatment methods is mid-April through June.
Many effective products are best administered by professionals. Contact a local arborist or tree-care professional for diagnosis and treatment. Check to be sure that the professional is licensed in Illinois as a commercial pesticide applicator for Category E: Turf and Ornamentals. Here is a link to insecticide management options: http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/Multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf
There are homeowner treatment options for small ash trees, though these require careful application to avoid unintended environmental impacts. Here is a link to do-it-yourself insecticide management options for homeowners:
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/E2955.pdf
3. Do Nothing - NOT an advisable option. If your tree is dying, the branches will become weak and will eventually fall in severe storms or just naturally over time. There is a safety and financial liability onus on you as a tree owner that could become expensive should disaster strike. All ash tree owners have a responsibility to their neighbors and community to remove or treat their infested ash trees to minimize the spread of EAB.
More information regarding EAB in Illinois is also available at these web sites:
Photographic Illustration of Ash Tree Canopy Thinning and Die Back
Effectively treating EAB-infested ash trees can be tricky. Observing the degree of thinning and die back provides useful information in the ash tree condition which may be a sign of EAB infestation. This photo guide (see link below), courtesy of Dave Smitley, Michigan State University entomologist, illustrates the stages of ash canopy thinning and dieback. These stages may help the homeowner determine if a tree is a candidate for treatments in an effort to try to save the tree, or if it may be best to take it down. Trees 12 to 15-inches in diameter with less than 30% thinning and die back are the best candidates for treatment consideration.