Emerald Ash Borer

[dave1949]

Does anyone have a stand of ash trees infested with EAB? It is not in this area yet, but they say it's just a matter of time.

What mortality rates are you seeing? Is the wood much affected by the boring?

Some areas of my lot are 30%-40% ash, I would like to plan ahead a bit if it gets here.

Thanks, Dave.

 

[Tig]

I'm in cottage country two hours from our largest city. EAB is there and I expect it's in the firewood is coming this way every weekend in the summer. Makes me regret the decision years back to plant ash. I now plant maple.
I did cut and burn one small tree this fall. It was sick all year but I could not see the EAB signs that I read about apart from the sparse foliage. I did not check the wood.

 

[beenthere]

Don't have it (yet), and have been managing my forest for the white ash for 40 years. Now, I am cutting beautiful ash for firewood.
Actually makes good firewood, as the trees are 12 - 18" dbh, and no limbs to about 70 feet up. Straight as an arrow, and little taper.

I think it is unfortunate that firewood movement has been getting the bad rap of being the "mover" of EAB. I don't believe it.
And the Gov't effort since finding EAB in MI in "? 2003 ?" has been to quarantine the area and try to eliminate all the ash trees in that area. But, the experts admit that the EAB has been there for maybe 4 years before it manifests itself in dead/dying ash trees. And there have been no signs that these quarantine procedures have been the least bit effective. Go figure. Firewood quarantine is just a Gov't knee-jerk reaction to say "we are doing something about it". They don't have a clue. IMO.
If EAB were moved by firewood, then movement of logs and pulpwood should also be limited (but the Gov't is not about to tell those two industries that they cannot move their logs and pulpwood).

End of rant.

 

[Travelover]

It has marched through lower Michigan and I can say that it has killed nearly every ash. I lost at least 6 trees just on my 1.5 acre lot. Once the tree dies, the bark just peels off and slides to the ground.

 

[dave1949]

I don't know about the firewood quarantines either, I doubt that will stop it. I would guess the bugs and eggs get around in a number of ways.

My lot was cut over in 1999-2000, so it is at the point where it's time to start managing it if I am going to. When I look around at the ash stands and think it could all be dead in 10-12 years, makes me wonder what to do. For now, I think when there is a choice, I'll favor a maple or oak over the ash. It's a shame for sure.

As long as the wood doesn't get punky, I suppose its always good for firewood. Ash burns well and seasons quickly at least.

The forest is taking a beating and has for over a 150 years now if you go back to the American chestnuts, then elms. Most of my beech has the bark disease in it, which ruins the wood eventually. My black cherry has the black knot disease, we are on the fringe of black cherry range here, so they are always ugly crooked stems anyways.
Dave.

 

[Tig]

Around here, it seems that EAB has hopped from city to city. It seems to have passed us by for now. It's not commercial loggers I am concerned about it's the guy who grabs a trailer of wood from "that dead tree they cut down" and brings it to the campsite to burn in next summer's campfire. I can see a pile out my window right now. This stuff is not ash but I'm certain the guy who moved it has no clue what it is.

 

[dave1949]

Around here, it seems that EAB has hopped from city to city. It seems to have passed us by for now. It's not commercial loggers I am concerned about it's the guy who grabs a trailer of wood from "that dead tree they cut down" and brings it to the campsite to burn in next summer's campfire. I can see a pile out my window right now. This stuff is not ash but I'm certain the guy who moved it has no clue what it is.

That's an interesting observation about hopping from city to city. No doubt the firewood haulers do play a role in spreading EAB longer distances. Even without them, it will spread naturally once it is present I think.

We have many thousands of second/summer homes in Maine owned by folks in Mass., New Jersey, NY, Conn., etc. The potential for moving in infested wood is huge. The commercial loggers are generally hauling wood across the county or shorter distances.

Dave.

 

[bp fick]

Dave, The EAB decimated the entire area of S.E. Michigan, because this is where it landed, of course. A shipping crate from Asia at the docks, I believe.

The little "volunteers" that come up in alleys, fence rows, gardens, etc were important to me and I nursed a dozen little ash trees and have replanted them. I kinda figure the borer has now moved on. Fire wood moving bans or not, this guy won't be stopped, imo.

Our old neighborhood was a stereotype street with huge, mature trees lining and making a canopy over the streets. By 2005, it looked like an atomic bomb was dropped. The barren landscape was shocking.

This is worse or as bad as the Dutch Elm disease of my youth.

I'm a tree planter. These events have scarred me, in a way, and my response is to plant, plant, plant with bio diversity.

 

[Dargo]

I realized a couple of my Ash trees were in trouble when I noticed some beautiful redheaded woodpeckers drilling the heck out of them last winter. The trees were dead this last summer. Here is one source to give you info on battling what seems to be a futile battle Treatment Information | Emerald Ash Borer Information Network

 

[Tig]

I reviewed the treatments when I first became aware of EAB. In the end I decided that I preferred the biodiversity approach. It's less of an ongoing battle. I'm upping my percentage of maple and staying conservative in my softwood cleanup. I even have an elm that I'm defending from the beaver.
The camp next to me is at least 90% ash. Solar power in winter may become feasible once the EAB changes that place from a forest to a field.