Taking Care Of Emerald Ash Borer Infestations Before They Affect Healthy Trees

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When you have a problem with emerald ash borers, the insects can spread to healthy trees and cause infestations to worsen. Therefore, you will want to deal with these beetles before they lead to more damage to your property or nearby forests. The following information will help you deal with emerald ash borers:

• Identifying Infestations Ash Borers — An infestation of ash borers can sometimes be difficult to spot. Therefore, you may need help with identifying the type of insects that are killing your ash trees. Usually, the emerald ash borer leaves holes in the trunk, where beetles lay larvae. You may need to have a test done to identify the insects affecting your trees to determine if they are this invasive species. There may be other types of insects and infestations that need to be treated too.

• Marking Trees for Trimming or Removal — The trees need to be marked to know where the problems are. If the infestation is severe, the affected trees may need to be removed. When the infestation is new, there may be alternative treatments that you can try first. Therefore, you will want to distinguish trees with different markers for these treatments and removal. The marking can be done with different-colored paints, or you can use marker tapes to mark the trees that have been affected by an emerald ash borer infestation.

• Waste Materials and Quarantined Areas — The waste materials are going to need special care when removing them. There are several options to deal with these materials in quarantined areas. The first option is to chip the materials and treat the area with pesticides. Another option is to burn the materials to ensure they do not cause problems with the larvae growing into beetles and spreading to living ash trees. When you are dealing with an ash borer infestation, the waste materials cannot be moved outside of the affected areas.

• Preventing Future Infestations — An emerald ash borer infestation can be prevented with proper care. The main way is to use pesticide treatments to keep the insect problems under control. You also want to care for the trees and inspect them regularly for infestations. They will need to be trimmed, and some trees may require removal before infestations spread and get out of control. Regular inspection of stands of ash trees can help to catch and contain these infestations before they become severe and spread to healthy forests.

An emerald ash borer infestation needs to be contained before they become more active in spring. Contact a tree service for help treating these problems before the weather gets warmer and they begin to spread.

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16 March 2021