PREVENTATIVE TREATMENT ONGOING
The Emerald Ash Borer is a small, winged, metallic green beetle whose larva feed on the underside of the bark on ash trees. The presence of the borer will eventually cause an ash tree to die. After determining that the treatment of ash trees on Village owned land would be less expensive than removing trees after an infestation, the Village began a treatment program. Over the past three years, the Village has contracted with TruGreen to treat approximately 1,100 ash trees that are located in the Village right-of-way (the area within 15 feet behind the curb in subdivisions and within five feet behind the ditch in rural areas). The fall application of the treatment is currently underway.
Trees with a trunk diameter of more than 6 inches are treated every two years, and trees with a trunk diameter of less than 6 inches are treated two times per year. Village staff is currently evaluating the trees that have been treated over the past three years to determine if the treatment has been effective thus far.
IDENTIFYING THE PRESENCE OF THE ASH BORER
The following information can help you to identify an Emerald Ash Borer infestation:
• dead branches which begin at the top of an ash tree;
• excessive growth of new branches at the tree base or trunk;
• vertical splits in the bark of the tree;
• evidence of woodpecker feeding activity;
• D-shaped holes in the bark that are about 1/8 inch in diameter;
• visual evidence of larval galleries, the cream colored larva, or
the metallic green adult beetle.
If you suspect an Emerald Ash Borer infestation in a tree on your property (that is not in the Village right of way), you are asked to contact a qualified contractor who can remove and properly dispose of the tree to prevent the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer. You can find more information about the Emerald Ash Borer online by clicking here.