We Are Surrounded – ‘Time to Circle the Wagons’
Written by: Bill Reichenbach, Certified Arborist WI -0188A
No, I did not just get done watching a 1960’s Western Cowboy vs. Indians movie. However, I have been watching Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) make inroads into my territory. Just last week I saw my first EAB exit hole at eye level in Brookfield!
EAB is now well established in most all of southeast Wisconsin. If you have not yet had your ash tree evaluated and treated, you are walking on thin ice.
Let us look at some facts;
- EAB was first discovered in Wisconsin in 2008 in Washington County; however, it was present prior to its discovery.
- It can be difficult to determine that EAB is in your tree when the insect first infests your tree. Treatment is most effective when begun prior to attack by EAB. Do not wait to begin treating your ash tree for EAB, now is the time!
- Treatment with trunk injections of Emamectin Benzoate are very effective at keeping your ash tree healthy and free from significant damage from EAB. These injections need to be done every two years.
- Treatment with trunk injections of Emamectin Benzoate are done in summer, ash trees need to be in full growth mode to take up the material. We begin injecting ash trees in early summer and continue all through summer into very early fall.
- Wachtel has developed its own injection method. We use a drill bit about half the size of others, and no plastic plugs are left in the tree. This results in less physical damage to your tree.
I am still seeing healthy ash trees in my area; however, I am also seeing many trees beginning to show the signs of decline due to EAB and other factors. Not all ash trees warrant protection. We feel that ash trees need to be healthy (ash have other insect / disease issues other than EAB), be of a significant size and be in a good location to be candidates for treatment. In some cases, removal and replanting with other types of trees is a better option.
Emerald Ash Borer is upon us, the population of the insect is exploding and our trees are surrounded. Call now to have a Wachtel Certified Arborist come to your home to evaluate your trees and to develop a management plan. Most of our clients have already done that, if you have been waiting, now is the time to act. ‘“If not you, who? If not now, when?”