Emerald Ash Borer: The $10 Billion Threat

Imperial Valley News - Emerald Ash Borer: The $10 Billion Threat

 The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a metallic-green insect, a half-inch long and weighs next to nothing. But it’s a serial killer of ash trees all over the United States.

According to the American Institute of Biological Sciences, EAB will cost cities about $10 billion over 10 years for treatment and removal of ash trees. That’s money many cities just don’t have as they dig out from the recession.

“Imagine driving through a neighborhood in the spring or summer and it looks like the fall because there are very few leaves on the ash trees,” said Lance Walheim, co-author of “Landscaping for Dummies” and lawn and garden expert for Bayer Advanced™. “Thinning tree canopies are the calling card for this insect that attacks trees from the inside out.”

According to www.Emeraldashborer.info, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in many areas where it’s been discovered, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. It’s been in the U.S. since 2002.

Female borers lay eggs in late May through June. The larvae feed under the bark from late July through October, choking off the water and nutrient supply to the tree. Up to half of the tree canopy can die in a year. Most of the canopy will be dead after two years.

You Don’t Have To Cut Down Your Ash Trees

In many cities, workers break out chain saws to cut down ash trees in parks and along streets if EAB is a threat. Local TV news and newspapers cover the mass elimination of trees. So, homeowners think the only solution they have is to cut down the beautiful ash trees in their yards.

According to www.Emeraldashborer.info, there are several homeowner options for controlling EAB. They include products that are injected into the soil or tree trunk or applied around the roots with water.