What is Emerald Ash Borer?
The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle that was discovered in North America in 2002. The theory behind where they came from and how they got here is that they are thought to have arrived on solid wood packing shipments, that were transported around the world by cargo ships. The beetles are endemic to Asia; specifically Northern China, Eastern Russia, Japan and Korea.
How does the Emerald Ash Borer kill trees?
As an adult, the Emerald Ash Borer beetle is not critically dangerous to the tree itself, the danger stems from the beetle’s larvae which reside deep inside trees and feed on bark, in turn destroying water and nutrient-conducting material that is critical to the tree’s survival. With the nutrients being sapped from the tree on a constant basis in a parasitic type of transaction. Essentially this means that the tree is not receiving the vital material it needs to survive and flourish and is slowly but surely being starved into decomposition.
Infestation after a year.
After infesting a tree within a year, over a third of the ash tree’s branches may die due to the rapid expansions of the beetle's population. The biggest issue with their further spread is the fact that they are hard to spot below the bark on the already-infested ash trees. Their spread happens predominantly when logs or firewood are moved into new areas and nurseries where the EAB was not previously present. This is the main reason for their rapid spread throughout North America and why there are such stringent rules surrounding moving firewood from place to place.
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How do you know if your tree has an Emerald Ash Borer Infestation?
From our expert experience at Birch Tree Care, there are some key signs to spot an infestation in your tree. But first, you should ask yourself the following questions:
Are there D-shaped exit holes on the bark of the affected ash tree?
Are the branches on the tree beginning to thin at the top of the tree?
Has the tree lost branches entirely that were there last year?
Is there a large amount of Woodpecker damage to the tree?
What type of trees are most affected?
The vast majority of trees affected in Minnesota by the Emerald Ash Borer are Ash trees in northern forests. Minnesota has the largest concentration of ash forests in the United States. In terms of what species of tree are most at risk, all species of Ash tree across North America are susceptible to this invasive pest. This includes the green, red and white ash varieties.
How prevalent is this problem in Minnesota?
The Emerald Ash Borer problem in Minnesota is critical with 21 of Minnesota’s 87 counties having EAB infestations. Minnesota has over one million acres of forest dominated by Ash trees making the eco-system highly susceptible. 2.65 million Ash trees are located in local Minnesota communities which is further proof why the state is at a significant risk of infestations.
What are the consequences if you have EAB and all your trees are infested?
There are climate-related effects if Ash trees are wiped out. EAB releases the same amount of carbon each year as 4.4 million cars by destroying Ash trees and releasing stored carbon deposits.
Ash trees can be expensive to cut down if the Emerald Ash Borer is left to their own devices. This can add up and become expensive for local homeowners in Minnesota.
