Emerald Ash Borer

[brushburner]

We live in an area that has many Ash trees and are being infected by the Emerald Ash Borer. We also have a few Tupelo ( Black Gum ) trees which attracts Cedar Wax Wing birds. Will the Emerald ash borer also attack the Black Gum Tree? The bark is peeling off like the ash trees which I think is caused from the birds going after the Emerald Ash Borer.

 

[Herd8497]

I am in Central Ohio. Cut 26 ash down in Sept. and Oct. on the same property.......needless to say I have a lot of bark to use for starting fires. I believe the ash borer goes to other species of trees as well as they are so very invasive.

 

[hydrodog]

I live 30 miles SE of Lansing and have been cutting ash trees that have died from this borer for 6 years now. I have seen no cross infestations of other trees yet and hopefully there will be none. Here is a couple links from Mi Gov't. on the subject.
http://www.michigan.gov/mdard/0,4610,7-125-1568_2390_18298---,00.html

Michigan Information | Emerald Ash Borer Information Network

 

[ATH]

NO. EAB will die before eating anything else besides ash.

 

[Herd8497]

NO. EAB will die before eating anything else besides ash.

Good to know, and thanks. My wife was concerned our other trees here at hme would become victims. The 4 big Ash in our yard will likely need to become firewood in coming years sadly.

 

[stltreedr]

correct, EAB is host specific and only attacks ash trees. There are treatment options available to keep them going if they haven't been attacked yet. You should contact an arborist in your area and look into it.

 

[brushburner]

I like to thank those who has responded to my thread , but my wife is not so sure that our Black Gum trees are not infected by the EAB she will take more convincing. Time will tell.

 

[ATH]

There are many other bark beetles related to EAB that are not EAB. Almost all of them attack trees suffering from something else. EAB will attack perfectly healthy trees. Not sure what else there is to say...it is what it is. If she thinks there is evidence to the contrary, have her collect samples and send them to a plant pest lab.

 

[Herd8497]

How do I find an arborist in my part of OH? Yellow pages, web, local extension office? Serious question. I want someone to look at my Ash (pun intended).

 

[Incomplete]

Anbody know what the natural predator for the EAB is? Asking for a friend. :msp_biggrin:

 

[ATH]

How do I find an arborist in my part of OH? Yellow pages, web, local extension office? Serious question. I want someone to look at my Ash (pun intended).

What part of Ohio are you in (general region is fine if you want to maintain ambiguity...or send me a PM)?

 

[ATH]

Anbody know what the natural predator for the EAB is? Asking for a friend. :msp_biggrin:

Woodpeckers sure tear up the bark on infested trees.

USDA has introduced some tiny wasps that are parasitoids as well. As I understand it, they may have some long-term impact in keeping the population more manageable...but that is a long time in the future and many many trees will be lost before that is even close to becoming reality.

Article from USFS regarding biocontrol of EAB

 

[stltreedr]

How do I find an arborist in my part of OH? Yellow pages, web, local extension office? Serious question. I want someone to look at my Ash (pun intended).

go to
International Society of Arboriculture
and search your zip code.

I just went to a meeting last night where ArborJet was pushing their product- they're saying they can get up to 3 years control with their TreeAge insecticide. Ecenemectin Benzoate??? I can't remember. and you can treat trees with good results even after trees have been attacked up to 50% crown thin.

 

[Incomplete]

Article from USFS regarding biocontrol of EAB

That was fascinating. 74% mortality of EAB is fantastic. We have this pest and in the study of a treatment they discover two new species of bugs. It's an awesome world.

 

[ATH]

...74% mortality of EAB is fantastic...

fantastic...but not enough in the populations we are seeing. In the long-term, that may be enough to give future generations of ash trees a fighting chance. If you haven't seen it yet, when you see how heavy these things feed on the cambium you will understand why even 26% of that will still kill trees.

 

[ATH]

.....you can treat trees with good results even after trees have been attacked up to 50% crown thin.

I treat a lot of trees with several products, and I'll be the first to say that Tree-AGE is the best working product on the market.

But this is not true. I have treated such trees, and they get worse. Maybe in areas with lower EAB pressure that might be true.

The other reason I think this is a HUGE dis-service: what good is a tree that is 50% dead? There will be a significant cost to prune the tree. Then you have an imbalanced ugly tree that probably will have huge wounds and a weakened trunk.

 

[PJM]

@ ATH - that's a great point about treating already infested trees, but the same goes for trees that are not infested yet but may have a comprised vascular system such as the case of large wounds and dead limbs which would prevent the insecticide from moving uniformly throughout the tree. Sure you might save the tree but would it still be same tree and provide the same benefits, especially aesthetic benefits. Each tree really needs to be evaluated individually to decide if treatment is both viable and can meet the needs of the tree owner.

 

[stltreedr]

I treat a lot of trees with several products, and I'll be the first to say that Tree-AGE is the best working product on the market.

But this is not true. I have treated such trees, and they get worse. Maybe in areas with lower EAB pressure that might be true.

The other reason I think this is a HUGE dis-service: what good is a tree that is 50% dead? There will be a significant cost to prune the tree. Then you have an imbalanced ugly tree that probably will have huge wounds and a weakened trunk.

I'm just saying that's what the arborjet guy presented. He showed a few slides of trees that had thin crowns and were shooting up watersprouts- not that 1/2 the tree was completely dead, just thinning. Like my hair. Showed another slide from the next year after treatment and the crown was full again. I'm sure it was nasty sucker growth, but it was full and alive.

Good to know that the product works well though, we are gearing up for it in STL.

 

[brushburner]

ATH....I have to many Ash trees to treat, never have checked into the cost though. When all the mature Ash trees die off the EAB will die off, correct? It appears that the EAB doesn’t bother the smaller Ash trees ( pinky size). What happens when the Ash sapling’s ( Suckers ) get bigger will there be a return of the EAB? I would like to save the Black gum trees because it brings in the birds. I really should have an Arborist look at it, don’t know that cost either. The wood peckers are chipping away at the bark so there must be some kind of insect infecting it. I took some pictures of our Black gum tree and a few Ash trees just to share.

View attachment 280537View attachment 280538View attachment 280539View attachment 280540View attachment 280541

 

[ATH]

.....When all the mature Ash trees die off the EAB will die off, correct? It appears that the EAB doesn’t bother the smaller Ash trees ( pinky size). What happens when the Ash sapling’s ( Suckers ) get bigger will there be a return of the EAB?....

In the long-term, yes, that is the expectation/theory. However the permanent research plots that OSU, MSU and the USFS have put in they are finding that after all of the big trees are long gone and the little ones have started to sprout that EAB finds them again when they are big enough - so the bug is not far enough away to not find those trees again. The sad part is that the little ones are killed before they are big enough to produce seeds and ash seeds do not persist in the soil - if they don't sprout in the first year or two, they never will. Based on what I have heard at seminars, read in the research I have kept up with, and discussed one-on-one with some of the researchers it looks like those seedlings are the last generation of naturally occuring ash. Give it another 15 years and we may be able to get away with planting a few trees???

I would like to save the Black gum trees because it brings in the birds. I really should have an Arborist look at it, don’t know that cost either. The wood peckers are chipping away at the bark so there must be some kind of insect infecting it. I took some pictures of our Black gum tree and a few Ash trees just to share.

Is picture 4 the black gum? That looks like there is some concerning decay happening deeper into the tree. You should definately have a good arborist come look at it. Let them know you are looking for a consultation, not a removal estimate. Expect to pay between $50-$100 for that...