Monitoring your tree is important to catching signs of improvement and growth, keeping up on tree care can help to increase the speed of recuperation.
EAB can naturally travel up to 15 miles from an infested site, but it can travel hundreds of miles with human help. This means if your ash tree is infested, your neighbors ash trees are most likely infested too! A tree that has been infested with EAB can die in as little as 2-5 years so it is important to recognize the signs in order to save you and your neighbors trees before it is too late. Prevention is important and even if trees are not showing clear signs of emerald ash borer infestation they should still be treated before it is too late.
Emerald Ash Borer infestation can be categorized into five stages correlating to how many years the tree has been infested. From year 1-2 signs of EAB are easy to miss because the tree doesn't take a major decline until years 3 and 4.
Year 4/5 infestation:
When EAB treatment is done correctly, it is 95%+ effective, but an infested tree that does not receive treatment has less than a 0.1% chance of survival.
EAB can be difficult to identify in the first two years of infestation, but there are some signs to look out for;
Woodpecker damage and bark splitting
New growth sprouting from the trunk.
Dead branches.
Stunted growth to leaves along the canopy of the tree.
Canopy dieback
D shaped exit holes
If you are noticing any of these signs on trees, reach out to other homeowners and recommend treatment.
Neighbors reaching out and recommending ash tree treatment is one of the most effective ways to bring attention to an EAB problem. It can be helpful to motivate others into seeking treatment for their trees, and to keep the trees in your neighborhood protected!
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