Emerald Ash Borer Homeowner Management Options

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Emerald Ash Borer Homeowner Management

OptionsFairfax County Urban Forest Management

Forest Pest Division

Ash Tree Identification (Fraxinus sp.)

Ash (Fraxinus) Maples (Acer) Horse chestnut (Aesculus) Shrubs: Viburnum, Forsythia etc.

Hickories (Carya) Oaks (Quercus) Beech (Fagus) Tuliptree (Liriodendron) Sweet Gum (Liquidambar)

Ash Tree Identification Compound leaf Fruit is single winged

samara

www.bugwood.org (Paul Wray, Michigan Dept. of Agriculture)

Ash Tree Identification Diamond patterned bark Opposite branches

Stubby, blunt twigs

www.bugwood.org (Keith Kanoti)

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Invasive wood-boring

beetle introduced from China/East Asia

Feeds on ash trees Discovered in

Michigan in 2002 Found in Virginia in

2003 and again in 2008

www.forestryimages.org (Linda Bauer, Debbie Miller)

www.emeraldashborer.info (United States Department of Agriculture)

Signs Larvae burrow into

bark and feed on vascular tissueLeave winding

“galleries” where they have burrowed

Adults emerge through “D” shaped exit holes

www.forestryimages.org (Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources , David. R. McKay, David Cappaert)

Symptoms Canopy dieback/thinning crown Epicormic sprouting

Growth from a previously dormant bud on the trunk or a limb of a tree

Woodpecker activity Bark splits

Canopy Dieback/Epicormics

www.forestryimages.org (Linda Bauer, Daniel Herms)

Bark Splits/Woodpecker Activity

www.forestryimages.org (Michigan Dept. of Agriculture)

EAB Invasion Wave

http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/treecomputer/index.php?page=concepts/invasionWave.php&section=2

Fairfax County

www.goodtreecare.com

Management Options for Ash Trees1. Remove ash trees that are unsafe as they

die2. Replace ash trees that were removed3. Treat the remaining healthy ash trees

Data was prepared using the Emerald Ash Borer Cost Calculator developed at Purdue University,http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/treecomputer/index.php

Tree Removal High initial investment

Loss of tree benefits/ecosystem services(http://www.itreetools.org/design.php)○ Stormwater runoff prevention○ Shade (reduction of energy use)○ Aesthetics

Deeds or HOA covenants may require special exceptions or permission to remove a tree

○ These requirements will be listed in the property development plan

Ash Removal

Photos courtesy: Rob Gorden, Arborjet Inc.

Tree Replacement Replace dead ash trees with other

native tree species http://

www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/navbar/faqs/treecare.htm

Plant a variety of different speciesDiversity is a proactive approach to insects

or diseases that may emerge in the future

Ash Replacement

EAB Management Options Pesticide Treatment

Cost is dispersed over many yearsCan lessen pesticide application intensity after

beetle population decreasesOption to treat the ash tree so that it will

eventually be replaced with another species without the loss of ecosystem services

Ash Protection/Treatment

Available from www.emeraldashborer.infohttp://www.emeraldashborer.info/documents/Multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf

Pesticide Treatment Timing Trees must be actively respiring (must

have leaves) Kill larvae under the bark of the tree Kill female adults before eggs are

producedFemale adults have to

feed on foliage for two weeks before they produce and lay eggs

15% of crown is dead

Treatable Ash Tree

Treatable Ash Tree

Photo courtesy of: Donna Brok http://gardenwalkgardentalk.com/2014/07/01/emerald-ash-borer-a-first-hand-look/

40% of crown is dead

Untreatable Ash Tree

Photo: Eric R. Day, www.bugwood.org

>50% of crown is dead

EAB Homeowner Treatment Must be applied every year in mid-Spring Not effective for trees >20-25”

Dinotefuran requires more product for trees >15”

Insecticide Description ApplicationMethod

Dinotefuran Granular Soil

Imidacloprid 2x Soil drench

Soil**Can’t apply near water sources or

streams

EAB Professional TreatmentInsecticide Application

Method Advantage Disadvantage

Dinotefuran Bark spray, soil injection

Very water soluble

Less effective at high EAB density

Can apply later in the

yearNeed higher dose

for large trees

Imidacloprid 2x

Soil drench, trunk injection

Inexpensive Less effective at high EAB density

Readily available

Takes 4-6 weeks to take effect

Emamectin Benzoate (TreeAge)

Trunk injectionVery good

control at all EAB infestation

stagesExpensive

Azadirachtin (TreeAzin) Trunk injection Certified for

Organic useExpensive;

Only reduces fecundity of adults

Pesticide Injection (Tree-äge)

Example Scenario 50 ash trees along street Majority of trees approximately 12-18”

diameter Various stages of EAB infestation

Thin foliageDead branchesCanopy dieback

Example Scenario Costs

Data was prepared using the Emerald Ash Borer Cost Calculator developed at Purdue University,http://extension.entm.purdue.edu/treecomputer/index.php

Treatment Initial Cost Year 4 25 year cumulative

Removal $1,361 $26,958 $29,643

Replacement $2,870 $43,360 $48,079

PesticideTreatment(Tree-Äge)*

$7,023 $24,252 $32,695

*Price may not include labor

Yearly Cost Comparison

Cumulative Cost Comparison

Pesticide Treatment Considerations

We are approaching the near peak of emerald ash borer pest pressure

Recommend to treat with TreeAge injections during this stressful periodMay switch to other, less costly products after

Summary Ash trees left untreated WILL die and will

have to be removed eventually Pesticide treatment must be done regularly

in order to protect the tree over time Get quotes from several tree care

companies before you decide on a treatment

If you choose to replant, select diverse, native tree species

For more information, please contact:Fairfax County Urban Forest Management Division:

Forest Pest Management Branch703-324-5304, TTY 711

PestMail@fairfaxcounty.govA Fairfax County Publication March 2016