Do you have ash trees? If you do, T & L Tree Service wants to come inspect your trees to make sure you are not in the early stages of an Emerald Ash Borer infestation. If we detect EAB larvae early, your ash trees may be saved. If you don’t have them yet, we can prevent you from getting them.
St. Louis Area Losing Trees At An Alarming Rate
For several years our area has seen a huge decline in the health of and the number of ash trees due to the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). This popular tree was planted when many communities were built years ago and is now a haven for these destructive pests. And they spread at an alarming rate, decimating large swaths of trees in a short amount of time.
T & L Tree wants to be part of the Emerald Ash Borer solution by inspecting all ash trees – healthy and unhealthy – and eradicating these pests. We believe preventatively treating the ash trees we have left and creating a plan to educate and inspect can stop this invasive species. Together, with your help, we can preserve our beautiful tree canopy and keep our cities green.
Identifying Ash Trees With EAB
If you’re not sure if you have ash trees, look at the stems. The stems will have nine bright green tear-drop shaped leaves per stem. If you see a tree like this and the bark has lots of little holes, woodpecker-sized holes, missing or peeling bark with worm-like tracks, bark bleaching, or 1/2″ green iridescent beetles on the leaves, you have the highly damaging Emerald Ash Borer.
How Long Does the EAB Live?
These nasty little beetles have a one-to-two-year life cycle. Adults emerge in May and peak by the end of June. Females lay eggs about 2 weeks after emergence. Within two weeks the eggs hatch and the larvae bore into the area between the bark and wood where nutrient levels are best. For several weeks, from late July or early August through October, the larvae feed under the bark and pass through four stages, reaching 1 to 1.25 inches long. According to the EAB Information Network, most larvae “overwinter in a small chamber in the outer bark or in the outer inch of wood. Pupation occurs in spring and the new generation of adults will emerge in May or early June, to begin the cycle again.”
Help Stop The Spread
Here are a few things you can do to stop the spread of EABs:
- Do not move firewood from your house to any other location. If you go camping, buy firewood from that location and leave it there when finished, do not bring any unused wood home. This is the single biggest cause of the EAB spreading.
- Call T & L Tree Service for an annual ash tree inspection.
- Treat any ash trees in your yard for the insects. Treatment can last up to 2 years and safeguard your trees.
- Use T & L Tree for treatment and prevention injections. Scientists believe injections may be the best treatment option.
- Avoid planting additional ash trees until the EABs have been removed from the area.
- Alert your neighbors and friends about this situation and spread the word about our inspections.
Over 45 years in St. Louis
Our ISA Certified Arborists have performed thousands of ash tree treatments all over St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the surrounding areas. Contact us for the first step of our prevention program which is an inspection. Then, if we find anything suspicious, we will alert you to any issues and provide professional advice and solutions you can trust.
Help us save our beautiful trees for generations to come. You can count on T & L Tree to be your expert tree resource. Contact us or call 314-895-1883 to schedule your inspection today.
