EAB wave

[sgreanbeans]

So, with EAB found here locally. Getting alot of calls about it. All the hackers are using this as a scare tactic and then u have idiots with a QAL out trying to sell EAB treatments for oak and maples. U guys that are in the middle of it. How has it gone, dealing with the citys and HO's. My nephew has a QAL, but I am not selling it. I am anti-chem. We have it, just to have it. I am going the route, that if your tree has it, remove it. Plant a new one, no chems needed. Wondering how it has effected business and how the environment is with all the "pop up" tree hacks that I have been reading about. There is really bad info out there, some of what other tree guys are telling people is just plain crooked and dirty.

 

[kyle goddard]

I haven't seen it here in central pa. Not much news on it either. My friend a foreman for Davey had said its on its way. I have heard that for a few years now. So far we havent seen it..

 

[flushcut]

Around here very few people want to pay for the treatment and be locked into a treatment regiment they just opt for removal and replanting.

 

[ATH]

What is QAL?

We are on the backside of the wave here...not many trees left alive if they haven't been treated at this point.

I think it is a wonderful opportunity to expand plant health business. There are equipment purchases that can be justified for EAB, that will be useful in other areas of the business. Trunk injected Tree-Age and soil-applied imidacloprid are the ways to go in my experience. Safari bark sprays are nice and quick to apply, but that is an expensive chemical, and it is not more effective than imidacloprid. If you soil inject that, it is almost as quick as bark sprayed Safari. If you don't want to use chemicals, then I guess that leaves that out for...but telling everybody their only choice is removal is as bad as telling them to treat everything. Offer GOOD information (which sounds that is like what you already strive to do), and let them make the decision.

Generally, I have felt like I tried to talk clients out of treating their trees. Not that I didn't want the business, but I wanted them to be well aware of all of the downsides:
*No guarantee that it will work (some companies do offer that, but most of those amount to little promise...besides, Tree-Age (for example), hasn't been on the market for long enough to say that it will work in 10+ years...EAB has only been known for 11-12 years, so there is no research to say that treatments will work for 15 years...sure, we can assume, but if it is not backed by good research, I am not putting my reputation on the line...so I am upfront - no guarantee).
*You will have to treat perpetually. Again, that is probably not entirely true - we should at least be able to scale back treatment intensity...but I want a client to assume perpetuity before they make the decision.
*It is not cheap.
*Not every tree is worth saving. There are some that are too far infested. There are others that were crappy trees before EAB ever showed up...why would you invest in keeping those around?

You can take EAB out of an infested tree...but not if it there is much infestation. If you stand back and the top/center of the tree is very thin it is gone. Even if you slow it down, the tree has lost apical dominance.

There are some lawn guys treating. Some have done OK...others will probably loose the trees because they have not treated properly. There may be a few hacks treating trees, but I guess those are different clients than I deal with, so I haven't run across too many.

There have been some guys that popped up doing removals that probably were not around before EAB...but how much of that was a factory working being laid off so he declares himself a tree expert as he picks up his chainsaw and beer. I turned away a lot of big removal jobs because I focus on pruning/care rather than removals...made me contemplate more than once starting a crew just to knock out removals. In hind sight, if we geared up to do that early on, it probably would have worked out well...but a couple of low-ballers could really put screws to that, so I do not regret not doing it. If you already do removals, may make sense to upgrade to keep up with increased production depending on how many ash trees you have. We have a lot. Many of the woodlots in the area are better than 50% ash.

If you do removals, take your normal time, realize that dead ash shatters when it touches the ground so add plenty of extra time to rake. Then add another hour into the bid because you underestimated the amount of time it takes to rake. Makes it hard to bid against somebody who doesn't care what the work site looks like when they leave...I am too much of a perfectionist to do that!

I don't know if I really answered your questions...but those are some quick highlights from here!

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I am guessing qal would be qualified applicator license

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

 

[RandomWoodsman]

We are gearing up for it here in central new york it has been in the state for some time now when i first got out of college i worked exclusivly with EAB for the states department of environmental conservation it was in western ny and downstate in the hudson river valley now it has made its way here. There will mosy likely be alot of cutting and alot of injections starting next spring. Should be a good money making exercise but also a cluster with everyone going around telling the public different things. The DECs policy when i was working for them was to try and slow it down so that it can naturalize without as big an impact. Alot of infestation can be prevented through good tree care practices EAB does not infest healthy trees generally untill they have run out of weak trees in the area and are forced to move to healthier trees. Sorry for the long response if you have questions let me know ill try and give you an answer i used to work with EAB alot

 

[squad143]

We have it in the Toronto area big time. I usually get called once they are completely or almost dead.
I don't do treatments, but refer clients to those that do, but it's very rare.
Usually the price of the treatments are what I'd charge for removal, and with no 100% guarantee on survival, the customer usually ops for removal.
Last year every City tree on my street was removed due to EAB. Sad. Almost looks like a new subdivision. At least the City has wised up and planted different species at different houses in case of future infestations.
I choose a red oak on my lot. 2" cailper. Small, but it's a start.
My father always said you plant trees for future generations.
Ya, all the cowboys with a pickup and a chainsaw are coming out of the woodwork...... But then again, they always do.

 

[ATH]

....Alot of infestation can be prevented through good tree care practices EAB does not infest healthy trees generally untill they have run out of weak trees in the area and are forced to move to healthier trees....

In heavy infestations throughout SE Michigan, NW Ohio, SW Ohio, NE Indiana, that has proven to be untrue. They will attack EVERYTHING ash - with blue ash a year or two (maybe more?) behind everything else. The wave hits so hard and fast, that there is no difference, everything dies. In very light/early infestations, that may be the case...but you can't manage tree health well enough to prevent EAB.

 

[Zale]

I'm not into recommending chemical treatment for my clients. I don't feel it justifies the cost. Most of my clients are HOAs. The big wave has not happened yet but EAB has been found in our area. Two of my HOAs are replacing all of their ash trees in phases. The first phase started three years ago.