The Emerald Ash Borer Problem in Cincinnati

Emerald Ash Borer History

The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) arrived in Cincinnati in 2007. Since then, this terrible creature has killed millions of ash trees in the region. The Emerald Ash Borer was first seen in the US in Detroit in 2002, and it has been steadily migrating south since that time. Experts believe that the Borer probably found its way to the United States on wood packing material transported in airplanes or cargo ships arriving from Asia, where the beetle species originates.

The Borer was first noticed in the region when about 20 percent of the ash trees in the area had died. The estimate has now shockingly climbed to 80 percent. EABs can kill an ash tree in two to three years and they are not always easily recognized because an infected tree can look very healthy until too much damage has been done to the inside of the tree for it to continue to survive.

The State of Ohio conducted a study in 2006: The Potential Economic Impacts of Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis) on Ohio, U.S., Communities. This study reported that the average ash tree was 12.4” in diameter. The removal and replacement of each of these trees would, on average, cost $1,772 to the homeowner. Ash trees are quite common in Ohio, and there isn’t, as yet, a strategy for safely and entirely eliminating the Emerald Ash Borer from the ecosystem. Sadly, there really isn’t a solution for this problem – some areas have decided to remove many of their ash trees as a way of preventing the further spread of the EAB. Here in the Cincinnati area, ash borers are becoming increasingly common.

How To Spot Issues with Ash Borers

The first sign that a tree is infested with Borers is that the canopy will lack leaves high in the tree when leaves begin to bud in the spring. If the tree is more than 35 percent infested, it will be very difficult or impossible to save it. If, however, the infestation is caught early, the tree can usually be saved. It’s very important to catch this problem early, but the signs are easy to miss. So, if you get the sense that something is amiss with your trees, contact a professional Cincinnati tree service company right away – it’s much safer than waiting to see if the problem will “go away on its own”. Ash Borers don’t.

Emerald Ash Borer Treatment

A professional treatment is available to protect ash trees from the Emerald Ash Borers. The most effective treatment is trunk injections with an insecticide that destroys the Borers and kills the eggs. Yearly treatments are required for full efficacy, and they have proven to be 97 percent effective in killing the Borer in ash trees throughout the Cincinnati area. Few people are aware that tree service companies like Tree Images have treatments that can save these trees.

It doesn’t take too long for affected ash trees to become brittle, completely unstable, and then die. The EABs invade the tree and do most of their damage mostly invisibly beneath the bark. The danger to the ash tree is created by the Borer larvae, which feed on the inner bark of the tree. This disrupts the tree’s ability to carry water and nutrients to areas where they are needed. The mature Borer nibbles on the leaves, but this is not the real threat to the tree. By the time a tree has started to show signs of damage, it is usually too late to save it. This means that an ash tree can go from healthy looking to a state of frailty during a short time. The Borer is so pervasive that in time, the treated trees will be the only ash trees left in Cincinnati.

Our Cincinnati area tree service experts here at Tree Images can inspect your ash trees and determine if the Borer has infected them. If they have, and if we catch the infestation early enough, we can save the trees. Don’t wait until you see signs of damage to call – contact us today to protect your ash trees.