The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is an invasive pest introduced from Asia that attacks ash trees (Fraxinus spp.) This metallic wood boring beetle was found in Detroit, Michigan and Ontario, Canada in 2002, and has now been identified in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The larvae live under the bark of the tree and feed in the vascular cambium on the nutrient rich conductive tissues. The adult beetles leave a “D” shaped exit hole ~1/8 inch wide when they emerge from the bark in June.
Dieback of the canopy above the site of infestation. As many as one half of the branches may die back in one year of infestation. The tree will try to compensate by sprouting new epicormic growth below the level of infestation. The bark may begin to split. Under the bark, larval trails will meander through the vascular cambium. Trees can die within only two years of the onset of symptoms.
Looks Green recommends a trunk micro-infusion or microinjection with either TREE-äge (emamectin benzoate) using either the Tree I.V. system or the QUIK-jet device. The large vessel transport system in ash trees will rapidly take up injected IMA-jet. TREE-äge is more viscous and will take slightly longer to inject but will provide a longer residual effect. TREE-äge and IMA-jet will kill the EAB larvae inside the tree. IMA-jet can be mixed with MICRO-jet Mixable to provide the tree with insecticide and fertilization in one treatment.
Treat ash if EAB is reported in your area. Do not wait for visible dieback in the canopy. There is a significant delay between damage to the vascular cambium and dieback in the canopy. Delaying treatment will result in canopy dieback or tree loss. There are 2 treatment windows for EAB in a given year. Treatment in the spring will prevent the adult beetles from feeding and laying eggs in the tree. Injecting in the summer will kill the larval stage of EAB feeding under the bark. Uptake of formulation is fastest when trees are actively transpiring. Morning applications are best, especially during summer weather. When air temperatures are high or when soil conditions are dry, it is best to postpone injection for better environmental conditions.
IMA-jet will kill the EAB larvae under the bark and deter adult feeding on the treated tree. TREE-äge will kill the EAB larvae under the bark as well as any adult beetles that feed on the tree. Depending upon the overall health of the tree, IMA-jet will protect a tree from EAB for up to 1 year and TREE-äge will protect a tree from EAB for a potential 2 years. Tree recovery from an established infestation is relative to the severity of the infestation at the time of treatment as well as other environmental factors. Do not treat trees more than once annually.
If EAB has been confirmed in an area within 10 to 12 miles of your location you need to start managing your ash tree or ash inventory as if you already have EAB. EAB is almost impossible to detect, especially visually, until it already has been present in your ash tree or ash tree inventory for three to five years. EAB is an extremely insidious pest, females lay 60 to 90 eggs per year, and their population builds at a minimum of 10 fold per year. Do not move ash material beyond the EAB regulated area.
