Signs of Emerald Ash Borer on my white ash trees?

Unfortunately those trees are doomed. The heavy growth of shoots on the dead lower branch is a sure sign. The damage has been done.

As EAB continues its spread throughout the ash range, property owners will need to assess whether they want to preserve, or are willing to lose their ash trees. Unfortunately those are the only two options. Don't take a 'wait and see' approach. EAB establishes itself in an area years before causing major, noticeable outbreaks. By then it is way too late (woodpecker peck patches clearly visible on trunk at distance and at speed). At the incipient stage of EAB infestation EAB symptoms are light, localized and at the tops of trees with damage not immediately evident (those tiny D-shaped holes will be difficult to locate even with binoculars).
Things to consider:
* Damage done this growing season won't be visibly expressed as EAB damage symptoms until following growing season. Beware of companies trying to sell treatment for ash too far gone. (Arguable treatment cut-offs: <1/3 crown - potential treatable; 1/3 to 1/2 crown probable loss; >1/2 crown loss - loss, don't treat -remove. Damage is vascular - tissue beneath bark. Pick off bark on heavily infested tree and you'll get good appreciation for extent of damage.
* Treatment is limited to 2 year max protection and trees must be treated regulary thereafter to ensure protection. For a large ash treatment will be considerable, but so will removal costs (know both/ get estimates and weigh the two).
* If owners want to preserve their ash, start EAB treatment years in advance of heavy EAB infestation in that region and while tree is healthy. While under heaviest EAB infestation pressure some extension agents have even suggested treating with two products.
Approved EAB pesticides include:
- Xytect/ Merit (1-year protection. Homeowner can apply Merit - soil drench)
- Safari (basal trunk spray, soil drench/ injection) - http://www.valent.com/professional/products/safari/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=33331
- TREE-äge - (trunk injection that must be applied by professional) - http://arborjet.com/products/view/tree-age
Both Safari and TREE-äge provide 2-year protection.

Good link for EAB treatment info: http://pest.ca.uky.edu/EXT/EAB/EABcontrol2014.pdf

Hope this helps:
http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/pubwarehouse/pdfs/26856.pdf

Other issues with ash:
http://extension.psu.edu/pests/plant-diseases/all-fact-sheets/ash-diseases

I know you probably don't want to hear this but all I see is firewood. I know it sucks, I'm in northern NJ and I have a ton of ash tree on my property and I pretty much know that they will be in my wood pile in the next 5-10 years.

Is it possible to possible to propagate a new tree off the suckers? Does EAB also destroy young ash or just mature? Even if the mature tree is doomed, if you can propagate off the old, your Great Uncle's legacy will remain.

Approved one for Canada - amount needed is dependent on diameter of trunk.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007LRO1K/?tag=hearthamazon-20
http://allturf.ca/MSDS_Labels/Insecticides/Insecticides Labels 2015/ACECAP LABEL 2015.pdf

Ottawa monitoring program of TreeAzin:
http://pesticidetruths.com/2013/07/...sh-borer-treatment-update-unpublished-ottawa/

Your state:
http://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=464598&deepNav_GID=1631
http://www.emeraldashborer.info/documents/Multistate_EAB_Insecticide_Fact_Sheet.pdf

The Dept. of Agriculture released a tiny parasitic wasp to kill the EAB - I read this a few days ago, hope it works.

I have a lot of smaller (12-14) ash trees that are healthy so I think for some reason they prefer the mature trees.

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...ses-millions-of-wasps-to-fight-ash-tree-borer

TedyOH said:

The Dept. of Agriculture released a tiny parasitic wasp to kill the EAB - I read this a few days ago, hope it works.

I have a lot of smaller (12-14) ash trees that are healthy so I think for some reason they prefer the mature trees.

http://www.theguardian.com/environm...ses-millions-of-wasps-to-fight-ash-tree-borer

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I read that about the wasps but they released Japanese ladybeatles here to kill purple loosestrife. Beatles were supposed to be killed off in the winter as temps were supposed to be too harsh ... didn't happen. They wax and wane on population around my house but love working their way indoors. Not even sure they did their job!

Sounds just like the Asian Ladybug here, brought in to eat aphids. Our hunting camp in PA, when we go there in Spring, sometimes there is a half inch of dead ones on the floor. Plus they bite!

Have you checked for characteristic holes in the bark? I wondered about that ... top seems to be healthy. Let us know how you make out...

Brian26 said:

My great uncle planted 2 white ash trees back in the 60's. I bought his house a few years ago and love the trees. We are really the only people in the neighborhood with them and get comments all the time on how nice they are.

Just noticed that many of the lower branches have no leaves this year and are dead. Emerald ash borer has been reported in my area. Anyone have any experience with this?

Not sure how this picture will come out.

View attachment 179188

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Loss at the top is the first sign. Overall thinning of foliage. I have seen EAB for about 8 years now, and generally does not begin in lower limbs. Having said that those photos show signs of defoliation all over the crown. There also appear to be epicormic shoots growing on lower limbs, not a good sign.

Lake Girl said:

Have you checked for characteristic holes in the bark? I wondered about that ... top seems to be healthy. Let us know how you make out...

Click to expand...

The D shaped holes are exit holes - when adults leave. The larva live inside the tree for their entire growing life cycle before they exit as beetles.