Emerald Ash Borer: Deadly to Trees; Costly to Homeowners

If you have ash trees, you will have to deal with the emerald ash borer in some manner, according to experts. And, no matter how you deal with the insect, it’s going to make a dent in your wallet.

“The end result is this pest is going to be very, very costly. One way or another, anybody who has an ash tree is going to spend money on it,” said Joe Chamberlin, field research and development manager with Valent USA Corporation, a company that produces insecticides for treating trees with the insect. “There’s no point being in denial over it. It really comes down to how am I going to deal with this? What is the most economic way I can deal with this mess?”

For more then two and a half hours Monday night, entomologists and arborists explained the toll the small metallic green beetle takes on ash trees, and the various ways to combat their devastating effects on the urban landscape.

“If you have an ash tree, and you don’t do something, it most certainly will die,” Chamberlin said.

More than 100 people attended the emerald ash borer Town Meeting, which was held at the Municipal Center. The event was sponsored by the and featured presentations by several experts in the field. Much of the material discussed in the presentations will be made available on the Confederation’s website.

The Confederation made the decision to host the town meeting now because the best treatment time is from May to June.

“It’s springtime, and if you’re going to do any conservation measures at all for our ash trees, spring is the time to do that,” said Bob Buckman, Confederation president.

The emerald ash borer was first discovered in Illinois in 2006, and in June 2008 the beetle was found on Naperville’s south side, said Jack Mitz, city arborist for Naperville.

“From 2008 to now, it’s really grown into a tremendous problem,” Mitz said. “Just within our own community, there are dozens of places that we found that are infested. It’s really a growing problem.”

Approximately 26 percent, or 15,000, of the trees in Naperville’s parkways are ash trees. That’s not counting the trees on privately-owned property.

“In some of the communities, just about every tree is an ash tree,” Mitz said.

The experts said they wanted to dispel four common myths about the emerald ash borer: that tree removal slows its spread, treatment doesn’t work, treatments are too expensive and treatments are not safe.

“None of these things are true, yet a lot of them are really inhibiting our ability to manage the pest,” Chamberlin said.

As soon as you suspect your tree is showing signs and symptoms of attack by the insect, call in a professional.

“We much rather get a call when trees are sick than be the mortician,” said M. Skeet, certified arborist with The Care of Trees in Naperville. “A lot of times people wait until it’s just too late.

“Once a tree has it and its heavily infested, it’s too late,” Skeet said. “The treatment is now.”

Trees can be infested for two or three years with these things before they show the first obvious symptoms because they’re tiny, Chamberlin said.

The presenters stressed that not every tree infected with the insect needs to be cut down.

“But if you have a relatively healthy ash tree that’s a nice specimen, that’s in good shape, it is worth treating,” Chamberlin said.

If you are not going to treat the tree, then you should get rid of the infestation before it spreads to neighbors’ trees, Skeet said.

Treatments include do-it-yourself options a homeowner can use, as well as applications a tree professional can apply. The majority of the treatments, Chamberlin said, are considered low-risk products. He suggested neighborhoods get together to try to get a reduced cost for treatments by having the work done at the same time.

“If you own ash, you will spend money. Almost certainly,” Chamberlin said. “You will either spend money to cut your tree down or you will spend money to treat your tree. The decision is really up to you.”

So far, in 2011, the city has “already removed 50-plus trees, and it will probably be well over 100,” Mitz said.

Last year the city spent about $40,000 to treat affected ash trees. Residents who treat their privately owned ash trees are asked to fill out a form to let the city know the locations.

In 2010, Naperville received information from 450 residents treating their own trees, along with 150 parkway trees at no cost to the city, Mitz said.

“Each person is going to have to make their own decision,” said Frederic Miller, professor of horticulture at Joliet Junior College and research associate at Morton Arboretum. “It’s just like the analogy of when do you replace a car... You’re going to have to look at cost: removal vs. treatment. Crunch the numbers. Look at it that way, just like you would with any kind of investment.”

Experts said if there is an infestation within 15 miles of where a person lives, that person should consider treatment. Losing trees could have both negative economic and environmental effects, as trees absorb air pollution and reduce energy costs by cooling air. And then there is the affect of trees on property values.

“How likely is a real estate agent going to want to take people down that street instead of a street that is still tree-lined?” Chamberlin said.

While infestations have been identified in about 20 subdivisions, there is still hope for trees throughout the city.

“For most places in Naperville, it’s not too late,” Chamberlin said. “There’s still an opportunity to save the vast majority of trees here.”

Residents should remain vigilant and closely monitor the health of their trees. In addition, they should not transport firewood because it could accelerate the spread the insect if it is infested.

“The EAB is not going to pack its bags and go back home. That’s not going to happen,” Miller said. “The gypsy moth came over here in the late 1860s and we’re still dealing with it, folks.”

For more information about the emerald ash borer, visit www.emeraldashborer.info; the State of Illinois' website and the Morton Arboretum's website. Visit the city's website for more information on  signs and symptoms.