WSJ on Ash Borer Predators

[teutonicking]

I thought some of you might like to see this article from today's Wall Street Journal regarding the efforts to fight the emerald ash borer. Here is a link to the story on the website:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323446404579011172323705040.html

 

[Reckless]

Unfortunately my wood peckers only like the really dead stuff it seems. I think its too late for my stuff, hopefully this will help other parts of the country though.

 

[Buckeye 2012]

The things are all over the place in Ohio. I got back from work a little bit ago and killed one flying around in my house. That was a first for me thought it was a house fly till I smashed it.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Well, we have lots of those woodpeckers and nutscratchers but can't say about the wasps. The birds didn't make any difference here.

I did wonder for a time about the pileated woodpeckers because we had never had those here before about 4 years ago so it make me wonder if they moved in to feast on the EAB. However, all our ash trees are dead and there were hundreds of them. Sort of makes our woods look a bit barren...

 

[schlot]

Interesting stuff.

 

[AJS56]

Interesting... and thanks for sharing this. It may take some time and a combination of "treatments", but hopefully the EAB can be controlled eventuially. For many of us with ash trees it may be too late, but hopefully it can be controlled so that some will survive for the future.

 

[Bocefus78]

I have 1 ash tree on my property with the house. I had it treated with a "Treeage" injection. I would rather not lose the only tree in my front yard. It wasnt cheap ($115 for a 14" dbh tree) but that injection is supposed to be good for 2 years. All the others in the neighborhood that werent treated (which is 99% of them) are now losing leaves and branches. My tree guy says that he can even treat them after infestation and save them usually which was news to me. I thought once they get infested, they were just btu's.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I don't doubt they could be treated even after infestation. The reason for this is watching the trees after the borer goes to work. The trees will send out new suckers which means the trees are trying to save themselves. Sadly, it doesn't work but just knowing that the tree is able to do this might mean the treatment would still work. Good luck.

 

[Applesister]

Thanks for the link.