Here comes the EAB

[wendell]

Was out stove shopping at lunch today and drove past a crew taking down a tree so did a U-turn to see about picking up the wood and although they were going to take this one with them, starting next week, the city is having them take down all of the ash trees along that street and they said those will all be fair game.

Although it now seems I have an unlimited supply of wood, it is really hard thinking of all those beautiful trees being taken down. They were busy trying to finish up so I didn't take more of his time but it sounded like this is more of a preventative measure in areas where the city has a high concentration of ash trees.

 

[i3bpvh]

they're starting to take them down here in MN too. it's a shame. talked to a city guy, he said I could take all I wanted, but I'm gonna wait til they start cutting closer to my home. still all in the same county, but I don't want to risk infecting anything in my neighborhood.

 

[Archie]

Here's a stupid question from Virginia. Is this a preventive (edit, yes apparently) measure, sort of like making a "break line" to prevent further spread, or are the trees already infected (is that the right term?)?

 

[i3bpvh]

I believe it's infested?? Some counties are taking the infested trees down, others say they can't afford to. So I guess in the long run it's not going to stop anything. Right now thougn you can't transport wood (or just ash... not sure) out of Hennepin or Ramsey county (metro area).

 

[wendell]

My guess is that is what they are doing. In this case, the city has both sides of this street lined with ash trees for quite a ways. Once they would get infested, it would be like dominoes falling, all the while allowing the EAB to rapidly multiply.

 

[i3bpvh]

exactly whats going on in MN. after they cut all the elm trees down, they planted ash.

 

[Archie]

exactly whats going on in MN. after they cut all the elm trees down, they planted ash.

That was an unfortunate choice...

 

[i3bpvh]

to say the least. but if they have to cut it down, might as well end up in my wood pile and heat my house for free for years to come... if the wife will give up that much of the yard.

 

[Todd]

Unfortunately it's only a matter of time, they may slow it down, but it will eventually destroy millions more of Midwest Ash trees. My city has many Ash trees lining the streets and many more in the surrounding forests. How long did it take in other states to spread? It pretty much decimated the Ash in Michigan from what I heard.

 

[rdust]

We really need to find out a good way to kill the EAB! It's gone through Michigan like a wild fire and it's spreading just as quick to other states. I hate to say it but they're probably wasting their time trying to stop it. In Michigan we went through all this and it doesn't look like it's helped much. It's really sad when you look at the tree's around here and dead ash tree's are everywhere. I have three decent size ones(along with a bunch of small ones) dead in my back yard right now and one that I really like that's showing signs now, it's still pretty full but this year I see exit holes up higher in the tree.

 

[rdust]

Unfortunately it's only a matter of time, they may slow it down, but it will eventually destroy millions more of Midwest Ash trees. My city has many Ash trees lining the streets and many more in the surrounding forests. How long did it take in other states to spread? It pretty much decimated the Ash in Michigan from what I heard.

Found in Michigan in the summer of 2002. They think it was probably here sooner then that and went undetected for a while. Decimated, yep that about sums it up...what a shame, they're such a beautiful tree's.

 

[Sting]

I planted 5000 ash trees 6 years ago

another decision gone bad!

 

[SolarAndWood]

I planted 5000 ash trees 6 years ago

another decision gone bad!

That is a lot of trees to plant without any quick return. What was the goal?

 

[They Call Me Pete]

I planted 5000 ash trees 6 years ago

another decision gone bad!

Well you now have alot of firewood. The EAB is going to wipe out every ash tree and I really don't see them stopping it either. It came in on a cargo ship in Great Lakes region that's why it's hit that area first. I read a pretty interesting article about them in my tree service magazine. The state has already posted signs about transporting firewood.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

In Michigan they tried the same thing that Wisconsin and Minnesota is now doing. So it really surprises me that those 2 states are going to all the trouble. They've had meetings for officials and in the end, they freely admitted there is nothing to stop them. They said that all ash trees are going to die no matter what they do. So I asked why go to the trouble of cutting them before they are dead. They said that this made it appear that the government was at least trying! Dumb.

As others have stated, there are many areas of our state that really looks bad. I see lots and lots of areas where it is almost every tree dead. This is mostly near rivers and streams where you find most ash. There are still lots in my woods too and most are dead or dying. Looks like we burn ash for several years and then will burn something else because there will be no more ash here.

On the positive side, ash makes good firewood and doesn't need a lot of time to season.

 

[kbrown]

http://www.emeraldashborer.info/

This is a good site for EAB info. I like to believe in the balance of nature; there is the sudden explosion of the EAB, but at the same time, there will be an explosion of a natural predator. We have found hundreds of Ichneumon wasps in some older logs and dead trees. They are pretty impressive (and scary) at first glance but our neighbor is a wildlife photographer and knew what they were right away. They do not sting but rather have a 3-4" long tail that drills into trees and they lay their egg into the larva of other bugs (EAB) which then use it as a food source. They are very beneficial to any area that they come to and actually are very beautiful.
Female Ichneumon Wasp

 

[Skier76]

We've got a bunch of Ash trees that have died over the past few years. Of course, I had a bunch taken down last summer...before we bought the stove :banghead:. I think in CT, it's some disease that's getting to them? I thought I read/saw that it was similar to Dutch Elm. But with Dutch Elm, they've developed trees that are resistant. They haven't been able to do so with ash.

Since I'm an optomist, I figure I have a lot of cord coming my way if all the ash trees on our property give up the ghost.

 

[wendell]

I had a number of large white larvae/grubs in some elm I had split and now have a lot of bugs that look like that wasp but smaller and skinnier flying around my woodpile.. I wonder if they could be the male or some related species?

 

[kbrown]

The male is much smaller without any kind of long tail. It most likely is. Frisky little fellows; they didn't care about anything other then getting to the females that were hatching out. In the course of splitting a larger round I found them in the adult stage in the middle of the round! How the heck they chew or move out of there is nothing short of incredible.

 

[Sting]

I planted 5000 ash trees 6 years ago

another decision gone bad!

That is a lot of trees to plant without any quick return. What was the goal?

Where would anyone get a "quick" return on trees??????


Daaaaa


I planted 18000 trees on 14 acres knowing that more than a few would survive as to attain an average tree count per acre; to qualify for managed forest land tax assessment. Far less than paying tax on land that will soon be assessed as "recreational" because I no longer farm. The variety mix we planted came right out of the DNR suggestion book for this sort of project. Its just getting to the point that its looking good -- guess Ill be replanting something else in open spaces soon.

 

[SolarAndWood]

I planted 5000 ash trees 6 years ago

another decision gone bad!

That is a lot of trees to plant without any quick return. What was the goal?

Where would anyone get a "quick" return on trees??????


Daaaaa


I planted 18000 trees on 14 acres knowing that more than a few would survive as to attain an average tree count per acre; to qualify for managed forest land tax assessment. Far less than paying tax on land that will soon be assessed as "recreational" because I no longer farm. The variety mix we planted came right out of the DNR suggestion book for this sort of project. Its just getting to the point that its looking good -- guess Ill be replanting something else in open spaces soon.

7 years on Christmas trees is pretty quick; some people around here use them to keep the Ag rate on what is really residential property. Good luck with your plantings, hopefully you will get lucky.

 

[wendell]

The male is much smaller without any kind of long tail. It most likely is. Frisky little fellows; they didn't care about anything other then getting to the females that were hatching out. In the course of splitting a larger round I found them in the adult stage in the middle of the round! How the heck they chew or move out of there is nothing short of incredible.

Geez, now I feel bad. I thought I was doing a good thing exposing those larvae to a cold Wisconsin winter to kill them but now find out they actually are doing good.

 

[DiscoInferno]

At one time Michigan was talking about importing a specific Asian wasp that was a natural predator of the EAB (which also came from Asia). Never did hear about that again, though. Perhaps they started to worry about what that wasp might start attacking? Reminds me of the old lady that swallowed a fly...

Unfortunately the EAB has made it to parts of the UP despite best efforts, but luckily I don't seem to have a single ash tree on my property. (Although both the beech and hemlock have pests/diseases that could easily make their way here.) Through some combination of stupidity and carelessness the EAB has also jumped out to two neighboring counties in the DC area (Prince George's in MD and Fairfax in VA). Both are quarantined, so I can no longer get wood in either.

My father-in-law often wonders what the EAB will do when it runs out of ash trees. Scary thought.

 

[wldm09]

The male is much smaller without any kind of long tail. It most likely is. Frisky little fellows; they didn't care about anything other then getting to the females that were hatching out. In the course of splitting a larger round I found them in the adult stage in the middle of the round! How the heck they chew or move out of there is nothing short of incredible.

Geez, now I feel bad. I thought I was doing a good thing exposing those larvae to a cold Wisconsin winter to kill them but now find out they actually are doing good.

Wendell and Todd - have you heard anything about EAB in the Wausau area? I am wondering if I should start putting feelers out for free wood...might as well take advantage.

 

[wendell]

I haven't heard anything.