Emerald ash borer beetle-CT

[robj80]

I live in Connecticut. I had a white(?) ash tree come down in a tornado last May. I cut it into rounds about a week after. The past week I finally started splitting it. The bark is popping off as I am splitting. It is totally infested with EAB beetle pupae. Anyone know if I should be taking any steps with this bark that might have this pest in it? I am not transporting the wood anywhere. It is for my use only.

I am going to get a moisture meter tomorrow but this wood is splitting fantastic and is very light feeling. It is a tiny bit stringy. I am currently storing it on top of a stone retaining wall. It is a single row about 18" splits. Stretches around 15' long and 2' high and I still have plenty more to split . It is tarped on the top with the front and back of the pile exposed for air flow.

 

[Sodbuster]

I live in Connecticut. I had a white(?) ash tree come down in a tornado last May. I cut it into rounds about a week after. The past week I finally started splitting it. The bark is popping off as I am splitting. It is totally infested with EAB beetle pupae. Anyone know if I should be taking any steps with this bark that might have this pest in it? I am not transporting the wood anywhere. It is for my use only.

I am going to get a moisture meter tomorrow but this wood is splitting fantastic and is very light feeling. It is a tiny bit stringy. I am currently storing it on top of a stone retaining wall. It is a single row about 18" splits. Stretches around 15' long and 2' high and I still have plenty more to split . It is tarped on the top with the front and back of the pile exposed for air flow.

Not much you can do except smush the ones you see, I'm from Michigan and can tell you once the EAB is established in your area, you'll be set with firewood for a while. It's a devastating little fu*&er. Not a live Ash anywhere in lower Michigan.

 

[Knots]

We've just had sightings here a couple of towns away. I don't have much ash on my property, but I'm going to take it down in advance to deny them dinner.

 

[robj80]

Or you can let the beetle do its thing and remove the tree after it is already dead. Unless the tree might fall and hit something.

I just got my moisture meter. Rounds that were in contact with the ground showing 27% on fresh split. Rounds not touching the ground are 24-25%. All wood I split over a week ago is less than 20%. I should note my rounds are sitting in a shady moist area. The wife wouldn't let me put them anywhere else. She didn't want to see them.

 

[Knots]

Or you can let the beetle do its thing and remove the tree after it is already dead.

I don't want to give a nasty invasive a meal and ability to reproduce. I'd say it's 100% chance that it's gonna hit here. Might as well starve them here than give them additional ability to spread.

 

[Sodbuster]

It's downright awful the devastation they've caused in Michigan. Never knew we had so many Ash trees until them where dead.

 

[mustash29]

If they are in the bark & the bark is falling off, I'd light a bonfire and toss the bark & them directly in it, add diesel if necessary, LOL.

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I live in Connecticut. I had a white(?) ash tree come down in a tornado last May. I cut it into rounds about a week after. The past week I finally started splitting it. The bark is popping off as I am splitting. It is totally infested with EAB beetle pupae. Anyone know if I should be taking any steps with this bark that might have this pest in it? I am not transporting the wood anywhere. It is for my use only.

I am going to get a moisture meter tomorrow but this wood is splitting fantastic and is very light feeling. It is a tiny bit stringy. I am currently storing it on top of a stone retaining wall. It is a single row about 18" splits. Stretches around 15' long and 2' high and I still have plenty more to split . It is tarped on the top with the front and back of the pile exposed for air flow.

Where about in CT are you? I’m in SE CT along the coast. I have one ash tree in my backyard and it’s showing the first signs of EAB. It’s sad because it looked good until recently. There’s a small ash growing in woods bordering the yard- it’s maybe 3 inches in diameter and like 25 feet tall. Sad thinking it doesn’t have much of a future.

 

[jrems]

If it’s cut the beetle larva will not have anything to feed on, they will most likely die. I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[jrems]

Where about in CT are you? I’m in SE CT along the coast. I have one ash tree in my backyard and it’s showing the first signs of EAB. It’s sad because it looked good until recently. There’s a small ash growing in woods bordering the yard- it’s maybe 3 inches in diameter and like 25 feet tall. Sad thinking it doesn’t have much of a future.

If it’s just starting to show signs it can most likely be saved. An injection at the higher rate will last about 2 years. But it’s expensive. You can also use Zylam with pentrabark added will allow the insecticide to absorb through the bark. Do 2 applications a year. Where are you located? I might be able to come do a Zylam treatment for you when I’m out that way.

 

[Sodbuster]

If it’s just starting to show signs it can most likely be saved. An injection at the higher rate will last about 2 years. But it’s expensive. You can also use Zylam with pentrabark added will allow the insecticide to absorb through the bark. Do 2 applications a year. Where are you located? I might be able to come do a Zylam treatment for you when I’m out that way.

I dug a young Ash from our woods out back, about 1.25" in diameter. I am following the advice of a Michigan State University, and am doing a Imocloprid drench, spring and fall. Time will tell whether it will work, I've nothing into it, so it's basically an experiment.

 

[jrems]

I dug a young Ash from our woods out back, about 1.25" in diameter. I am following the advice of a Michigan State University, and am doing a Imocloprid drench, spring and fall. Time will tell whether it will work, I've nothing into it, so it's basically an experiment.

Imidacloprid does work, but not great on larger trees. It’s also hard to know if the tree has taken it up properly. A heavy rain can wash it out of the soil before it uptakes. Mix it with nitrogen( like miracle gro) when you apply. It will bind with the nitrogen and the tree will uptake it easier. Both imidacloprid and Zylam are banned in CT for consumer use. You need at have an license to buy(which I do)

 

[Sodbuster]

Thank you jrems for the update and the additional information , the trees he's treating were in Lansing, which is the epicenter of EAB infestation..

 

[Nateums]

We've just had sightings here a couple of towns away. I don't have much ash on my property, but I'm going to take it down in advance to deny them dinner.

This probably won't make a difference, but there have been reports of 'lingering Ash.' Certain trees seem to be resistant or not appetizing to the bugs. If you wait to cut them until they're dead it might be better for the species to have a chance at returning some day.

I think it's somewhere around 1/100 trees or less that may have some kind of resistance.

When I drive through areas that have been hit it looks like it takes them all to me, though.

 

[robj80]

I am in Oxford CT. I think I am going to setup a little fire pit next to where I cut. I will burn the bark, branches from the yard and throw a split on once in awhile to keep it going. I will keep warm while working out in the cold.

 

[zig]

The EAB has run it's course here in the thumb and while there's some treatment for them, almost none will live and those that do will be damaged badly. Once they start the ash is as good as done for but they will grow back in time like they originally did. On the up side, split ash is bone dry in 9 months to a year and very good firewood.

 

[robj80]

The EAB has run it's course here in the thumb and while there's some treatment for them, almost none will live and those that do will be damaged badly. Once they start the ash is as good as done for but they will grow back in time like they originally did. On the up side, split ash is bone dry in 9 months to a year and very good firewood.

I am assuming any ash on my property at this point is good as gone. YAY for firewood I guess. This tree fell in May, rounds cut in May but splitting not until late September. My moisture meter is telling me some of it is already good to burn (less than 20%). The tree was alive when it fell. Probably not doing too well though considering the amount of EAB activity.

 

[Granite Statah]

Interesting that you bring this up now. There was a quick blurb in our local news about a recent discovery over in VT.
https://www.vermontbiz.com/news/2018/october/10/emerald-ash-borer-detected-grand-isle-county

 

[robj80]

I contacted the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection here in CT. They told me the beetle is already established in my area. So this was old news to them.

 

[blades]

Strip the bark and burn it, early stages of eab live just under bark - late stage they burrow in to wood to emerge about 1.5-2 years later which is when you can see the D shaped exit holes.

 

[jrems]

I contacted the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection here in CT. They told me the beetle is already established in my area. So this was old news to them.

Yes, it is very old news. They had quarantined areas not to transport wood out of. That was a few years ago. It’s spread everywhere already so any remaining transport rules are kinda meaningless. There was some localized pockets of Asian longhorn beetle too.
The new bad guy is spotted lanternfly. It’s like gypsy moth but will eat almost anything. It’s from Asia too. First spotted in PA a few years ago. It will lay eggs on anything(metal, wood , rock) so it’s transported easily if it happens to lay eggs on a vehicle or any of the stone coming out of PA. They think it came in on stone from Asia. All attempts to contain and eradicate it have failed. I think it’s already in NJ and maybe lower NY

 

[Ctwoodtick]

I contacted the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection here in CT. They told me the beetle is already established in my area. So this was old news to them.

In my CT town hall, they have what looks like a high school science project displayed in the town hall hallway describing what EAB is and what it looks like. I take this to mean, “they’re here”. Next time I’m there, I’ll have to look at how they say to address it.

 

[robj80]

In my CT town hall, they have what looks like a high school science project displayed in the town hall hallway describing what EAB is and what it looks like. I take this to mean, “they’re here”. Next time I’m there, I’ll have to look at how they say to address it.

This was the response I got.

Thank you for your inquiry concerning emerald ash borer (EAB). Your town has already been confirmed as positive for EAB (2013), and you are located within the federal quarantine for this pest. Please see this link for tips on dealing with EAB in the landscape: http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/doc...oratory/eab_fact_sheet_2012_cowles_locked.pdf

If you have any other questions please feel free to contact the Experiment Station ([email protected]). Thank you again for your interest.





Victoria Lynn Smith
Deputy State Entomologist
CT Agricultural Experiment Station
123 Huntington St.
New Haven, CT 06504
phone 203-974-8474
fax 203-974-8502