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Tree Talk - Metropolitan Forestry Services

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June 14, 2016

Emerald Ash Borer In St. Louis – What You Need to Know

We have been trying to prepare our clients for the Emerald Ash Borer invasion for the last 10 years! We have articles in EVERY newsletter and have been discussing strategies for preventative treatments.  The media has been getting the word out, but there is also a lot of misinformation, so please call us if you have any questions or if you want to talk about a proposed treatment. 

  1. The EAB will eventually kill every ash tree in the U.S. that has not been treated.
  2. Missouri has 3-5 native species of ash and a myriad of hybrid varieties.
  3. Proper treatment will save your tree.
  4. There are at least 3 systemic treatments that are effective – consult your arborist for the best option.
  5. Treatments will need to continue for the foreseeable future.
  6. Ash trees killed by EAB become very brittle and will need to be removed to avoid major hazards.
  7. Proper disposal of the tree is essential – ground to 1 inch or smaller chips to keep beetles from hatching in the dead trees.
  8. Adults hatch out of dead or dying trees in early spring and feed on leaves before laying eggs. Larvae hatch and bore into branches, quickly destroying the vascular system.

 

MFS RECOMMENDATIONS:

  1. Decide which Ash trees you want to invest in for treatment.
  2. Consult your arborist for a long range plan to plant other species to take over shade and screening that your ash trees currently provide.
  3. If you have many ash trees, you may want to let them go gradually and stagger the removal costs.
  4. BEWARE of companies that are using this epidemic as a scam. We have already seen many treatments done incorrectly, and much misinformation about timing and treatment options.
  5. MFS treats the trees using the least invasive systemic treatment initially (soil injections), and then engages the more invasive methods (injecting into the trunk) when populations build.

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Our goal is to provide you with the best possible service. If you are not satisfied with any treatment or completed job, we will resolve the situation to your satisfaction. We want to do our utmost to ensure your trees and shrubs are always 'green and growing'.

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