Certified Master Naturalist, Dottie Haley, submitted this report on how to identify Emerald Ash Borer damage in Ash trees.
Ash Trees Under Siege
In 2010, as a newly certified VMN, the first webinar I ever
watched was continuing education on the invasive Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). I was enthused about this novel concept of being
able to earn continuing education hours while in my pajamas. I have been so thankful in 2020 that the
Master Naturalists have ramped up the availability of similar webinars to allow
us to learn even as we have had to isolate.
Thank you, Michelle, and the VMN leaders responsible!
EAB
are invasive originally from Russia, China, Japan, and Korea. In 2002, the first
infestations in the US were found near Detroit, Michigan, and traveled to
Maryland and northern Virginia in infested nursery trees. Although I had
not really thought about the EAB since that webinar, I remembered what I had
learned and put the information to use this year as I investigated the demise
of several ash trees on my property.
I had Maple trees a couple of years ago that I thought were
dying. They were shedding leaves during
the summer and the leaves that fell were covered in black spots. I called the Extension Service and they
informed me that it was just a disease that was prevalent that particular year
but the tree was probably ok. I made the
call to the Extension Service again hoping for a similar diagnosis of my Ash
trees. Unfortunately, they quickly
informed me that the EAB is prevalent in our area and that they are
“decimating” the Ash trees in our state.
If you have Ash trees on your
property, look for these signs:
Canopy damage – leaves and limbs in the canopy of the tree
begin to die.
Woodpecker damage – I had
seen a large pileated woodpecker chiseling away large pieces of bark to access the treasure underneath. The lighter areas seen on the trunk below are
where the bark has been knocked away.
Photo by Dottie Haley
S-shaped channels underneath the bark – I used a hammer and chisel to chip away some bark to see what was underneath. Unfortunately, I found the channels that confirm EAB.
It takes from 1 to
4 years for the EAB to kill a tree depending on the size of the tree. I plan to try and treat this tree as well as
others nearby next spring. The
treatments that I have seen so far are insecticides that get absorbed into the
trees to help them fight off EAB. I am
not a fan of pesticides but am willing to compromise if I can save my
trees. They are all 50+ year old trees
and not easily replaced.
Be aware. Your quick diagnosis of the problem could
save a precious tree.
The website found at the link below is an excellent source
of information on the EAB. There are
YouTube videos that show how to identify an Ash tree, how to confirm an EAB
infestation and how to potentially treat a tree for EAB.
Iowa
State University Emerald Ash Borer Webpage
Dottie Haley
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