MENUThe emerald ash borer (EAB) is still with us. We haven’t heard as much about EAB this year as we did last year because last year was its debut season in our area.This is not a pest that sneaked up on us. It had plenty of advance publicity. Nothing has changed. The EAB is still decimating the ash tree population of several local communities.While spring is the best time to protect your trees from this pest, you can still protect your trees now. The adults have mated, or soon will. So, time is of the essence if you have done nothing to protect your ash trees.It’s more economical to prevent emerald ash borer than it is to treat it after it has established itself in your ash tree(s). As a preventive, the product and application method I use needs to be reapplied only every two years. As a treatment, it has to be applied every year. The product is called Treeage, and is only sold to state licensed applicators who have been trained by the manufacturer in the use of its product and application equipment.All preventives and treatments for emerald ash borer have to be applied systemically, either as a soil drench or trunk injection. So, if someone offers to spray your trees for emerald ash borer, don’t let them. You’ll be wasting your money.EAB prevention or treatment is not a do-it-yourself project. Only one of the labeled products is available to consumers, but the consumer strength of this product is not sufficient to prevent or kill this insect.Even though EAB treatments are expensive, several decades of preventive treatments cost less than removing and replacing most ash trees.
