Emerald Ash Borer Comes to Illinois

It's here! They found a group of trees with it just a few miles from me. They suspect they have been here for years. Do a Google news search for emerald ash borer and Illinois to read all about it.

Thanks for spoiling my morning. I was trying to ignore that news release for a week or so, then along comes dear old Elburn man to snap me back into reality.

Nuts.

Guy S.

Hey, I am only 2 miles away now at my new house, and my old house is in that exact spot. Luckily, I planted zero Ash at the old house, and this new one came with maybe 4 or 5 that aren't in key locations. Unfortunately, there is a Forest Preserve path right through that EAB neighborhood and it has quite a few large old Ash trees. They are doomed. The nurseries around here tried like heck to get all those Ash trees sold, but even with low low prices they were stacking up. Now, they won't sell a single one, except to the developers. It is sad that they are ending up in monocultures in new subdivisions. The developers get them for cheap, so they load up. Those guys will be long gone when all the trees bite the dust.

On the local news a few weeks ago they were talking about an EAB preventative. It was made by Bayer. It has an ingredient that starts with an "E" but I can't remember the name of it. They said if you put it around the base of your ash trees they won't get the borers. Is that true? Do you know the name of the product? I have 20 acres of mostly ash trees. I'm in mid Michigan over by the Saginaw Bay. I know I can't save all those trees. There are about 5 very mature beautiful ash trees right up by my house I'd like to save and would consider investing in the preventative treatment for the borer if you think it would work.

I've been planting replacement trees as fast as I can. I planted over 100 just this year and quite a few last year. I don't know what else to do.

Thanks for any information or input you may have on this subject.

Brenda

"Control options for Emerald Ash Borer

1. Hire a professional tree care service to inject ash trees or the soil around ash trees with Merit (imidacloprid).

2 Do-It-Yourselfers can apply Bayer Tree and Shrub Insect Control (imidacloprid) to the soil over the roots of the tree.

3. Hire a professional tree care service to inject ash trees with Bidrin.

4. Hire a professional tree care service to spray ash trees at least twice with a persistent insecticide from mid-May to mid-July when the beetles are laying eggs on the trees"

From: http://www.pestid.msu.edu/profiles/eab%20stuff/slideshow/besteab/index.htm - Michigan State University

I believe Imidacloprid is the ingredient you are referring to. Some studies have shown that it works, but it's only practical for maybe one or two trees. There is no way to treat a hundred.

Sorry Conifers, we posted at the same time.

The Ohio State guys were pretty certain that even a strictly applied and timed regimen of chemicals would prolong the tree's lives for but a few years.

Scott

This year I have started to recommend to people not to plant ash anymore. I do use Merit on Birch trees and to do any large scale applications would be very costly.

Nothing worked in Michigan. Sob! Hundreds of old giants stand marked along the county roads waiting for the crews that are cutting them down this summer. Sorry to hear the bad news....

But in my bubble down here, I'm safe right?? I've got an ash right smack dab between me and the neighbor.

I have a chain saw thank you very much. Are you trying to burst my bubble?? You can't Guy. It impenitrable!

Hey! You just created a new nickname for yourself -- Bubbles! I guess that's better than the other one that was derived from the Latin root of your name, huh?
Hee-hee-hee! I'm sizzlin' tonight! Ya can't stop me!

Guy S.

Don't ya just luv to catch bubbles?? Mmmm.....They land ever so softly on your hand.....and all the pretty colors when the light hits them just so....HA! My bubbles is staying away from you. Those ticks are getting to you....I think they've penetrated into the gray matter.....poor poor Guy..........