With ash trees making up 15% of Denver’s urban canopy, Emerald Ash Borers have proven to be an exceptionally dangerous pest. To ensure our ash trees are protected, ArborScape offers specialized treatments that protect against these invasive borers.
Emerald ash borers are not native here in Colorado. In fact, these insects are typically seen more in Minnesota or Michigan due to their ash tree density. However, we first saw this insect arrive in Boulder County back in 2013 likely due to the transportation of ash tree firewood.
While in the larva state, these borers feed under the bark of the tree, leaving the tree prone to a host of other pests and inclement weather issues, much like if we stood outside for too long without the right kind of gear. Once attacked, the tree has about 2-4 years to receive treatment before it ends up withering away.
When it comes to the emerald ash borer, you’ll walk to keep an eye out for missing leaves at the top of your ash tree, vertical splits in the truck, and D-shaped exit holes.
If you’ve noticed these pests in your yard, you won’t want to hesitate to call us for some professional tree spraying. If left for too long, these pests can cause irreversible damage to your trees and yard.
Treatments for the Emerald Ash Borer
One option we have for treatment is an annual ash borer spray. This service is typically performed in May- right before the hatching season for these pests, this way, the larvae die as soon as they try to eat. Please note that this treatment is usually for smaller trees.
For bigger ash trees, we opt for a trunk injection every other year. This injection is done right after the trees have leafed out, which is usually in June. The warmer weather allows the treatment to spread more easily through the entirety of the tree.
These treatments will protect against the emerald ash borer and can also act as a preventative measure. However, if the tree is too far gone, it will need to be removed before the borers can spread to more ash trees.
If these borers are left too long, your tree stands no chance. If the insects haven’t eaten your tree to the point of decay, then it’ll be left susceptible to other insects or inclement weather; like when your immune system is weakened and you’re more likely to get sick.
Our certified arborists can give you a free estimate to determine what sort of treatment your ash needs. We’ll take a look at the canopy and if there’s more than 45% of canopy death, we’ll recommend a tree removal so you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars just trying to save the tree only to lose it anyway.
Two important things to remember! First, emerald ash borers do not affect mountain ash trees, so you don’t need to worry about this type of borer with those trees. Second, each of our spraying services are timely treatments, and can only be administered during certain times of the year.
That’s why we’re starting our general insect sprays and EAB injections now, so get on our schedule asap so we can take care of your yard!
Give ArborScape a call at (303) 806-TREE (8733) for a free estimate!
