EAB reaches Wisconsin

[ATH]

You MAY be able to take EAB out of a smaller tree with 70% damage...but you still have a tree that has lost 70% of its canopy. What would you tell somebody who had a healthy tree but lost 70% of its canopy in a storm? I'd tell it it is toast. Long term survival is unlikely (there are plenty of other stressors besides EAB that the tree will face), and it will never be a good looking/strong tree again - EAB starts at the top so you loose the top/center first.

I guess as a retailer, they are just looking to sell product. As a service provider, I don't flat out refuse but I go on a pretty hard sales pitch to NOT treat those trees. I know they are not going to be happy with the results, and I don't want to take somebody's money for 2, 3, 5 years just so they can be disappointed at the end of it all.

 

[glennschumann]

At least they are talkin about it...

Germantown made the local news for EAB ... not much news, but at least they are talking about it.

Germantown discusses attack plan for emerald ash borer

 

[glennschumann]

Now Beloit falls to the borer...

Emerald ash borer detected in Beloit

Home town to my alma matter gets the little green bug.

 

[glennschumann]

Now in Polk county at Mirro Lake State Park

Emerald ash borer found at Mirror Lake State Park - Local News - Milwaukee, WI | NBC News

And on a side note, I've seen Whitefish Bay (Neighboring town) mark, remove, (and presumably to replace) a collection of semi-mature ash trees on the parkways in the area. All looked healthy, and only Ash seemed to be targeted in the neighborhood.

Schumann

 

[glennschumann]

Other sightings (and ideas) in the area...

Milwaukee set for bigger infestation of emerald ash borers

Two new communities hit by emerald ash borer - JSOnline

Jefferson County added to emerald ash borer quarantine list

Emerald ash borer prompts removal of 20 trees from Mirror Lake : Wsj

Madison is going to get into the lumber business...

Madison officials hope to make better use of trees expected to die from pest : Wsj

 

[glennschumann]

Now noted in Janesville (close to Beloit as listed above). Didn't think we'd find this in the dead of winter, but somebody is still looking out for the health of trees there. Yeah!

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wiscon...nd-near-janesville-b99173015z1-237607451.html

Schumann

 

[blades]

Milw. is systematically removing Ash trees. Contracts have been let out, catch is, tree out and replanted with some other species. As I doubt anyone is taking the time to debark I believe it is all getting chipped up, Huge piles of chips on the county grounds. Far more Dangerous is the ALB as it feeds on anything. Already reported in Chicago Region which means it is likely here in Wi as well. Another gift from China.
Had an Ash on my lot that I took down shortly after purchase, all the classic symptoms, Conservatory area behind me - city ( Brookfield) hasn't done squat back there and I have seen the green bug. That was before the various reports around South Eastern WI.
About all anyone can do at this point is to save seeds and start over in about ten years, won't eliminate bugs but maybe we wont be totaly treeless as to some species. This isn't something any Gov entity is going to do so it will be up to private organizantions or personal.

 

[ATH]

....Far more Dangerous is the ALB as it feeds on anything. Already reported in Chicago Region which means it is likely here in Wi as well....
.......
About all anyone can do at this point is to save seeds and start over in about ten years, won't eliminate bugs but maybe we wont be totaly treeless as to some species. This isn't something any Gov entity is going to do so it will be up to private organizantions or personal.

2 separate things to address:
1) ALB has been eradicated from Chicago for 5.5 years. That is no small statement. APHIS will not declare an area eradicated until they look ,and do not find the bug for 3 years. If they find one bug or evidence of, the clock restarts (as I understand it...). They have continued to monitor for it since, and have not found it.
1a) EAB and ALB are 2 ENTIRELY different beasts. Yes, the list of trees ALB attacks is scarier, but it does not move nearly as fast or kill trees as quickly. In addition to Chicago, NJ has also eradicated ALB, so it is doable. I don't know of any eradication efforts that have worked for EAB. So, I will disagree that ALB is more dangerous (but reserve the right to change my mind, should knowledge of the bug change...just because of the long list of species!)

2) USFS is collecting ash seed.

 

[kyle1!]

They are finding EAB in eastern IA and even the town of Dayton whicih is close to me is starting to take down Ash trees. Why don't they just wait to take the tree down when it dies?

 

[blades]

They are finding EAB in eastern IA and even the town of Dayton whicih is close to me is starting to take down Ash trees. Why don't they just wait to take the tree down when it dies?

Death of tree is result of bug activity , to reduce spreading take away what harbors the offspring namely the Ash trees

 

[kyle1!]

But it has not been effective in stopping EAB so I am curious why they don't just wait for nature to run its course. You might get a few more years of shade in the yard from those Ash trees. I planted alot of Ash 10-12yrs ago and they are starting to get big. Didn't really think I was planting firewood at the time.

 

[ATH]

Kyle, you are right, that reducing the ash does not help stop the spread. If that is why they are doing it, it is a poor strategy. However, I do think it wise to proactively remove trees. There are probably trees that were so-so anyhow (there always are...any species). Hopefully these are the first they take out. The bigger issue is that if the city has a lot of ash trees, and they wait for them to start to die, trying to remove them all at once has a few major downfalls. First, it will crush a city budget quickly. Secondly, without hiring several contractors, there is no way they will be able to keep up with the trees as they die. Third, if you know the trees are going to be gone (nothing indicates EAB will be stopped), you might as well get something else going sooner than later. Again, this is a budget issue...but it also gives at least a tiny bit of diversity in age structure of the municipal forest.

If they have paid attention to other cities and are basing the decision to remove looking at what others have had to deal with, they are probably making a good call. I wish my city would have. The previous mayor said (quote) "We'll deal with that problem when it gets here". He was out of office by the time it did...so I guess it worked out OK for him - maybe that was his real motivation. We knew the impact it was going to have based on other towns around us. We had a lot less time to plan than others...but could still have gotten a 2 year head start on it (he wouldn't even support an ash inventory so they knew how big of a problem it was going to be).

 

[kyle1!]

The small town of Dayton (500-750 population) that I mentioned has 329 ash trees according to the local paper. I guess I wasn't looking at it from a budget standpoint and that will cost them alot of $$ to remove, both private/public.

 

[RedArrow]

Thanks for all the info guys.
I've been looking into treating Ash in my area. (north central MN)
Nice to hear all sides of this from different areas. EAB hasn't been found in my area yet... so I appreciate your first hand accounts of dealing with this.

 

[glennschumann]

Well, the upshot of this "Polar Vortex" that ran through the upper states a bit ago, is that it may cut back on the EAB population.

Story from MPR outlining a few details.

http://blogs.mprnews.org/updraft/20...out-high-percentage-emerald-ash-borer-larvae/

Schumann

 

[ATH]

We discussed that back in January: Here
I wouldn't count on the freeze making any big difference with EAB - especially in the long-term.

 

[R2D]

Indefinitely is the key word there. I know a residence that is spending big $$$ trying to save two large ones. I will ask them what they are paying. Some states that can now prepare better for this EAB and will hopefully have better results.

Been a while since i checked in to AS. Mike just north of Chicago. The two large trees I spoke of were treated at nearly 400 each! By the end of 2013 the owner asked me to remove them along with a couple others that were not treated.

Soil drench 6-10" ash seem to be holding on for now. Still some side effects are showing of being infected.

If it is a "large" ash and my company is treating it (and we treated many of them) it is gonna cost you from $300. to $350 per year to treat. These HO's haven't flinched at the cost to relative importance of these trees to them either.

Have bid competitively with TreeAge on numerous jobs and have found their treatment is approx. 2times the cost for 2 times the residual (more than 2x the injection wound too!). They are talking a 3rd year of efficacy but do not think it is being marketed. I found some 2 year EmBen treated ash into the 3rd year untreated with some D holes this spring (homeowner's statement on last treatment).

 

[ATH]

I know a few arborists who are going 3 years. The research entomologists are saying "maybe" 3 years. Not enough research to say for sure yet. I think what may happen is if you do 2 year treatments for about 3 cycles, by the time the next rotation comes, there are not many live trees left, so the EAB population is crashing - so maybe that 3rd year is OK because there is not as much pressure??? I would NOT go 3 years at the start when under the full force of EAB pressure.

 

[R2D]

So i have heard in recent studies there is proof that the EAB is trying to lay eggs in elm and black walnut. BUT there is NO proof that the larvae is thriving or surviving past egg stage.

ANYONE hear anything similar?

I have seen an EAB on a black walnut. I have also seen holes that look strikingly similar to EAB holes in black walnut. I sent photos to the state of Illinois. They said it cant be Eab.

Only time will tell i guess.

 

[PJM]

Care to share these recent studies?

While it is known that EAB in it's native range occasionally attack other non-ash species, including walnut and elm, previous studies in North America (http://originwww.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2006/nrs_2006_anulewicz_001.pdf) suggest that while EAB may lay eggs on non-ash species, the larval are unable to complete their development.

Note also that there are 171 documented species of Agrilus in North America. I believe all of which will leave the charactheristic D-shaped exit hole and have similar serpentine larval feeding galleries. Could it have been some other jewel beetle?