In 2002, a small beetle was first discovered and identified as the emerald ash borer. Although it was discovered near the Detroit area of Michigan, it is not native to the United States and is believed to originate in Asia. Some believe that the emerald ash borer was carried over to the United States on solid wood packing materials in cargo ships or airplanes. This small, metallic green beetle has been known to be a death sentence for ash trees as the exotic beetle was responsible for killing about 58 million ash trees throughout thirteen states by 2009. Just imagine how many trees that is over the course of just 7 years. Today, the emerald ash borer can be found in as many as 35 states. However, we now know that you can apply a treatment for emerald ash borer to save your ash trees.

The adult emerald ash borer does minimal damage to an ash tree as it nibbles on the tree’s foliage. However, the damage begins when the adult beetle lays its eggs on the bark of an ash tree. The larvae that emerge from those eggs then bore into the trees bark and begin feeding on the tissues in the ash tree that are responsible for the transportation of water and nutrients to the rest of the tree, ultimately causing the tree to die. All species of ash trees that are native to the United States including green ash, white ash, pumpkin ash, and Carolina ash trees are at risk of emerald ash borer infestations as well as native white fringe tree.

Emerald ash borer treatment options are available to homeowners and include canopy sprays as well as bark sprays. These sprays are occasionally used but help limit adult beetles from laying eggs and eating the trees leaves. Other options include injections into the soil or injections into the trunk. Injections are effective because they can deliver the treatment directly to the tissues of the tree and is then dispersed evenly throughout the trees canopy for optimum protection from the larvae that bore into the tree and cause the most damage. Although several products are available in garden centers or hardware stores that are applied as soil drenches and granular applications, homeowners should also contact a certified arborist that offers an emerald ash borer treatment denver co who can examine your trees to check for other conditions that may have existed before the infestation began.

It is important to be aware that for treatment to be as effective as possible, the type of insecticide, the amount of insecticide, the timing of application and health of the tree to be treated is essential in successfully treating an emerald ash borer infestation. Not all products that are available to homeowners will contain a concentration level that is high enough to control an infestation, so it is recommended to contact your local arborist for help. Emerald ash borer treatments are 85 to 95 percent effective if the treatment is applied correctly.