Threatening all ash trees throughout North America, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), imported accidently from China in 2002, has made its way to Centre Wellington.
The EAB adult beetle attacks ash trees by feeding beneath the bark of an ash, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients within the tree.
Symptoms of an infected tree, take a couple years to immerge, and when they do, the trees tend to lose their uppermost leaves, and start to thin at the crown.
Other symptoms include the bark splitting, increased woodpecker activity, and D-shaped holes formed by adult beetles exiting the tree.
NeighbourWoods on the Grand, a local non-profit organization dedicated to rebuilding the community tree canopy of Centre Wellington, wants to help residents in the area save their ash trees.
“Unlike the Dutch Elm Disease, which wiped out most of our majestic elms, there is a natural insecticide for the EAB, which is derived from the Neem Tree,” said Toni Ellis, coordinator of NeighbourWoods.
The Canadian-approved insecticide, called TreeAzine is injected into the base of a healthy ash tree, killing 95 per cent of the EAB larvae. The cost ranges from $300 to $700, depending on the size of the tree, and injections must be given to the tree every two years.
“Treating an ash tree about three times (six years), buys time for the tree owner to plant a replacement tree and establish it before their ash tree dies,” said Ellis.
Treatment will make the loss of the ash a little less devastating. Some people are choosing to treat their prized trees indefinitely, in hopes that the research underway will produce a natural and permanent control.
Brett Dixon,, a member of NeighbourWoods is a registered forester/arborist and is licensed to use TreeAzine.
To provide some economies of scale, NeighbourWoods is establishing a list of trees for Dixon to treat in the Centre Wellington area in July.
To identify an ash, look for compound leaves of five to eleven leaflets, and tight bark with a distinct diamond-shaped pattern.
If property owners can identify one or more of trees as a healthy ash tree with many green and full leaves, the ash will most likely have success undergoing the injections of TreeAzin.
NeighbourWoods on the Grand is a branch of the Elora Environment Centre working to rebuild the community tree canopy through tree planting, stewardship, public education and advocacy about the need for, and value of, trees. Their mission is to advocate for the health, protection and regeneration of our urban trees through public involvement in education, celebration and stewardship.
Property owners with Ash trees who are concerned about EAB and would like to take action should contact NeighbourWoods at 519-846-0841 by July 26.
