EMERALD ASH BORER BULLETIN
This page is regularly updated with the most up-to-date information on the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle, and the strategies being taken by the City of Ottawa in an attempt to kerb this menace.
WHAT IS THE EMERALD ASH BORER (EAB)?
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| source: Ottawa.ca |
The EAB is a tiny bright green beetle. It is a non-native species, which consequently has no natural predators in our area. The EAB lives and reproduces inside ash trees, below the bark. They lay their eggs and feed their larvae within the tree, which kills the tree. Over time, the ash tree will become brittle and may fall down in strong winds or storms; this could potentially cause damage to property, power lines, and people.
Here's two videos we've produced about the EAB:
WHAT ARE THE TREATMENT OPTIONS?
For mild infections, an experimental vaccine is available called TreeAzin. This vaccine may slow the spread of the EAB to your ash tree, or it may stop the spread of the beetle before it gets into your tree. It is important to call 3-1-1 and talk to the City before treating your tree, so that they can keep track of what trees are receiving medication.
For serious infections, the City's forestry department will assess and may need to remove the tree. Safety is paramount in the case of these rickety trees. Some ash trees will appear normal at a ground level view, but from an aerial survey the death of the tree is far more evident because signs of EAB infestation start at the crown of the tree. Thus, sometimes trees that look 'normal' are removed because they are actually badly infected.
The City of Ottawa is working diligently to replace terminal trees with new saplings of less vulnerable species. This process is called 'interplanting'.
WHAT ARE SIGNS OF THE BEETLE’S INVASION OF A TREE?
Homeowners can look for loss of leaves and
dead branches in the upper part of ash trees, unusually thin tree crowns,
branch and leaf growth in the lower part of the stem where growth was not
present before, and unusually high woodpecker activity.
Homeowners can also look for bark splitting, S-shaped grooves beneath the bark caused by larval feeding, and D-shaped exit holes 3.5 – 4 mm wide caused by adult beetles.
Homeowners can also look for bark splitting, S-shaped grooves beneath the bark caused by larval feeding, and D-shaped exit holes 3.5 – 4 mm wide caused by adult beetles.
WHY DOES MY TREE LOOK HEALTHY WHEN YOU’RE TELLING ME IT HAS EAB?
In its larva form (like a caterpillar),
emerald ash borer feeds in an S-shaped pattern just under the bark of ash
trees. This feeding disrupts the tree’s transportation of water and nutrients.
Once larvae finish feeding under the bark, they mature into adult beetles that
chew their way out of the tree through D-shaped exit holes. Infested ash trees
in North America generally die after two to three years, but heavily infested
trees have been observed to die after one year of beetle attack.
WHAT IS THE CITY DOING TO/WITH INFECTED TREES?
The monitoring program and the tree
assessment done by a Forestry Inspector will determine the best approach for a
given tree. Depending on the
assessment, the tree could be added to the tree injection program (only if
meeting the requirement criteria set by Forestry Services and within budget
constraints), undergo continued monitoring or if significant declined is
noticed, the tree may be removed.
Ash trees that have been or will be removed due
to EAB are handled at the Trail Road Waste Facility. Currently wood is being held and processed at
Trail Road, the City’s landfill site. The City has worked with Private
companies on pilot projects exploring alternatives to chipping and disposal of
all material. The pilots carried out
include an alternative sized wood material, which means sawing the logs down in
to merchantable sized dimensions that make it safe for reuse and transport, in
an attempt to turn the material into an end product such as furniture. In
addition markets have been explored for green energy, using waste material as a
fuel for heat, mulch products. There is
currently an RFP out to solicited proposals from contractors on possible uses.
The idea is to establish cost avoidance for the City, and lower cost disposal
for private sector and residents than currently established. This would be the first time this has been
done in Canada, with only small scale trials in the United States that we are
aware of.
The planting of trees to replace those removed
is essential to the sustainability of the urban and rural forest
infrastructure. With the inevitable loss of several trees, EAB will have a
devastating impact on the City’s forest canopy. Forestry Services is interplanting
and replacing trees in infested locations. New trees of different species
are planted along streets and parks where a large percentage of ash trees are/were
present. This will allow new forest cover to become established prior to
the removal of declining ash trees.
With
the expanding infested area and noticeable ash tree decline, Forestry Services
is working on various management programs to control the impact on forest
cover. The
imminent loss of ash trees will have a devastating impact on the forest cover,
the look and feel of city neighborhoods, the environment, and the ability to
meet forest cover targets as set out in the City of Ottawa’s Official
Plan. City Forestry Services staff
continue to work with the research community to investigate, management and
control this destructive forest pest.
WHAT OTHER MEASURES IS THE CITY USING TO MONITOR/DEAL WITH EAB?
Forestry Services has implemented
an EAB trapping and monitoring program across the City
to estimate the level of EAB activity in a given area. Staff has placed several insect traps
throughout the City and several round of data collection occurs throughout the
summer. The results are then capture
into a spatial database which can then be mapped. The maps allow to visually assessing the
evolution of the infestation by comparing results from year to year. The City has also partnered with the Province
to complete aerial mapping of the visible damage to Ash trees. This information is gathered typically in
August and used for future planning of injection, interplanting of trees and
tree removal.
MY PRIVATE TREE HAS EAB. WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?
Depending on the level of infestation of
the tree, you can either have the tree removed or injected, at your own
cost. Consult with a certified arborist
to have your tree(s) assessed and determine the best option for their tree. Unless ash trees on your property are highly
infested or there are urgent safety concerns, there should be no urgent need to
cut them down. Even trees that have been infested with EAB can continue to live
for years and provide benefits such as shade and higher property value. You may
still cut down infested trees on your own property but you must respect the
Ministerial Order to dispose of it properly and safely.
If
the tree is deemed a good candidate for injection, treating a private ash tree
can be a good investment when taking into account the cost for tree removal and
replanting.
A CITY TREE NEAR MY HOUSE HAS EAB, AND I WANT TO TREAT IT WITH TREEAZIN. WHAT ARE THE STEPS?
Steps for residents to follow to have a
City-owned ash tree treated for Emerald Ash Borer
If you would like a City-owned tree
considered for our 2013 injection program, please call 311.
If you would like to pay for the treatment
of an affected tree located on City property, the City of Ottawa has developed
a list of pre-approved qualified arborists willing to offer emerald ash borer TreeAzin™
injection services (please see below).
Note that no work can commence until a
contract agreement form is completed and signed by the property Owner/Occupant.
The agreement forms can be obtained right here: EAB contractor form.
The Owner/Occupant must send the completed
forms to Forestry Services.
Completed agreements are to be sent to:
Fax to: 613-580-2611
Attn:
Ash Tree Injection Program
OR
Mail to: Forestry Services Branch
100
Constellation Cres.
Ottawa,
On, K2G 6J8
Attn:
Ash Tree Injection Program
Mail
Code 26-62
You are responsible
for contacting the service provider and are encouraged to contact multiple qualified service providers for quotes.
Injection prices vary
depending on the service provider, tree size and tree location ranging anywhere
between $4.90/cm to $7.00/cm.
The following is the City’s pre-approved list
of qualified service providers:
Davey Tree - OttawaPhone: (613) 831-0225
Email: George.Lamirande@davey.com
Web: davey.com
Eastern Ontario Arborists Inc.
Office: Ottawa, ON
Phone: (613) 816-5879 Sean
Web: easternontarioarborists.ca – Please visit the website to fill out an Estimate Request form
Greener Seasons
Office: Ottawa, ON
Phone: (613) 229-3592
Email: info@greenerseasons.ca
Web: greenerseasons.ca
Trillium Tree Experts Ltd.
Office: Kanata, ON
Phone: (613) 831-4475
Email: trilliumtree@bellnet.ca
Web: trilliumtree.ca
ARE THERE RULES ABOUT THE REMOVAL OF AN INFECTED ASH TREE?
Infected ash tree wood must be quarantined. Be sure to talk to your arborist about the process and ensure that s/he is familiar with the EAB containment strategies. Call 3-1-1 for more info.
Here are some helpful links to get you started:
The Hume Blog: Emerald Ash Borer: overview and introduction
Ash Tree Identification Guide, produced by Michigan State University
Information on the EAB, City of Ottawa Website
Identifying an ash tree, City of Ottawa Website
Greenspace Alliance's page about the EAB
Waiver for treating a city tree with vaccine.
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