The Emerald Ash Borer is a small metallic beetle the virulently attacks ash populations and kills a tree from the inside. Ash borer control is of the utmost importance, when an infestation is noticed control and treatment could save countless trees. The larvae of an Emerald ash borer eat the internal pulp of an ash, killing it from the inside.
Many varieties of the ash tree have been planted by towns and municipal governments. Mature ash trees add beauty and shade with their foliage and can reduce instances of flooding, a mature tree can draw as much as 100 gallons of water from the surrounding soil daily. The emerald ash borer was introduced to the Americas by accident, when infested wood packaging materials brought the pest to our shores. Since this invasive species has no natural predator in America, ash borer treatment by humans is necessary.
Emerald ash borer treatment is so important because even when infected trees are removed and destroyed the infestation often spreads to 100 percent of the ash population within a few years. With the first signs of infestation you can save many trees by implementing an emerald ash borer control protocol.
Ash borer treatment in the early stages of infestation is crucial to saving a tree and ensuring a trees long term health. The treatment of ash trees can be done through various applications of insecticide. Even trees with only half of their canopy remaining may be saved with ash borer treatment and intervention.
Ash trees can be treated by homeowners through annual use of an insecticide soil drench applied at the base of the tree. Studies have shown that this treatment protects younger and smaller ashes better than bigger more mature trees. More mature trees may be helped with the use of a soil drench, but may take two years of treatment to be fully protected. If you are looking to protect a mature ash tree with this treatment, application of a soil drench before signs of infestation is important.
A second ash borer treatment can only be administered by a professional arborist. With this treatment, a hole is drilled into the base of a tree and insecticide is injected directly into the pulp of a tree. This ash borer treatment can be expensive, but is effective on larger ash trees and only needs to be applied every two years.