Emerald ash borer signs
There are several signs that may indicate your ash tree has been infested:
Branch dieback at the top of the tree
Vertical splits in the bark
Sprouting on the trunk and at the base of the tree
Scratched bark from woodpeckers feeding on the larvae
Distinct 1/8-inch, D-shaped exit holes in the bark
S-shaped, sawdust-packed galleries under the bark
For more, contact Deputy City Manager Scott Brunka at (513) 228-3103 or sbrunka@lebanonohio.gov.
Source: City of Lebanon
Evidence of an emerald ash borer in Lebanon has been found.
At least three trees in Harmon Park on South East Street have been infested with the ash-killing beetle, said Lebanon Deputy City Manager Scot Brunka. They were discovered on Sept. 9.
“This is the only location that has been inspected and reviewed by an arborist for the EAB,” Brunka said. “However, the city has identified a group of ash trees along Columbus Avenue that are in poor condition and show signs of the EAB.”
Emerald ash borers — which only attack and kill ash trees — are believed to have been introduced accidentally from Asia to the United States in the 1990s, according to the U.S. Forest Service. It was first discovered in the United States in Detroit in 2002.
Once an EAB infestation occurs, beetles can kill a tree in three to five years. Lebanon plans to remove its infested trees within the next few weeks.
“The city’s EAB management plan calls for the removal of public ash trees that are identified as being in poor condition,” Brunka said. Trees in good condition are not being treated with a chemical application as there is no sure-fire way to treat the trees.
The plan was implemented in 2007 and has more than 500 ash trees in the public areas.
While there is no proven treatment for EAB infestations, the city of Mason has been treating its ash trees with imidacloprid, a systemic pesticide that will get into the trees and bark.
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