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Jun 11, 2009 6:55 pm US/Central
Your Ash Tree: Treat It Or Cut It?
(WCCO)
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The chemicals are mixed in bottles that are pressurized to deliver the liquid under the bark.
CBS
There are more than 900 million ash trees in Minnesota, and they are all in danger from the emerald ash borer.
The beetle's larvae kill the trees by burrowing under the bark, but there is a way to kill the bugs.
"Until all the untreated trees are dead, every ash tree is gonna be threatened," said Mark Stennes, a plant pathologist.
S&S Tree Service is treating this ash tree with an insecticide called Tree-age.
The chemicals are mixed in bottles that are pressurized to deliver the liquid under the bark.
Small holes are drilled in the base of the tree so fittings can be installed. Once the lines are connected, the insecticide flows into the tree in a matter of minutes.
The treatment kills the ash borer larvae for at least two years.
"Its the adults that emerge now. They're coming out now, that spread the insect, its how it gets around. But the damage is done by the larvae that bores in the wood, and that's what we're protecting against," said Stennes.
"I think it's fair to call this a crisis," said Jeff Hahn, a U of M entomologist.
Chemically treating ash trees is not practical on a large scale, so property owners should also consider removing infected trees.
Call your city before doing anything with an ash tree.
This treatment currently costs from $250 to $350, every two to three years.
"If you treat for 10 years, and then stop, your tree is just as susceptible as it was before you started to treat. So, you need to weigh the long term cost of treatment with taking it down, replacing it," said Hahn.
If you live at least 10 to 15 miles away from the intersection of Highway 280 and interstate 94 in St. Paul, which is ground zero for the ash borer invasion, you should not have to treat your trees at this time.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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