Take a moment and count how many Ash Trees are on your property, then count how many are on your street. Now, imagine a world where all of those trees are dying and being cut down. What you just imagined, will be our reality in the next 5 to 10 years if we don’t take action now.
What is Happening
According to K-State, the Emerald Ash Borers have moved into the Kansas and have been established in Johnson County since 2014. Since being confirmed, we have been put under an Ash Wood Quarantine. This quarantine urges people not to move Ash firewood or logs out of the marked areas to try and help stop this quick moving pest.
How do these small metallic green beetles spread? This is what K-State had to say, “We know EAB adults can fly at least 1/2 mile from the tree where they emerge. Many infestations, however, were started when people moved infested ash nursery trees, logs, or firewood into uninfested areas. Shipments of ash nursery trees and ash logs with bark are now regulated, and transporting firewood outside of the quarantined areas is illegal, but transport of infested firewood remains a problem.”
How Will I Know My Tree is in Danger?
This is no longer a question of if, it is now a question of when. The EABs are in the area and they will make it to your doorstep. So, you must be aware that an EAB attack on an Ash Tree is 99.5% fatal if not treated in time. This is why it is crucial to start treating now instead of waiting for these early warning signs:
- Dieback in the upper canopy of the tree – one-third to half of the branches may die in one year.
- Smaller branches sprouting on the lower trunk
- Splits in the bark
- Tiny (1/8th inch across) D-shaped exit holes in the bark
The larvae feed under the bark cutting off water and nutrient flow. Because they are hidden, they are hard to detect.
What Can I Do?
With hundreds of thousands of trees dying, our Ash trees either need to be treated or removed. Unfortunately, we have seen many organizations try to get ahead of the EAB by skipping the treatment and beginning tree removal. This scary reality is leaving bare land in its path that should have live healthy trees.
This is why YOU need to take a stand to protect your trees with treatments. Heritage offers the only OMRI Organic Alternative treatment in Kansas City. We have teamed with BioForest Technologies to bring this options, aka TreeAzin, to you. TreeAzin is effective in killing Emerald Ash Borers but, unlike other commonly used treatments, it is environmentally responsible.
Find more details on TreeAzin here
May and June are the best times to treat your trees. So, to help identify your Ash Trees, learn more about Heritage’s Organic Alternative treatments, or schedule your appointment, call your personal Lawn Coaches today!
