For the City Times

STEVENS POINT — Emerald ash borer (EAB) was confirmed in Stevens Point in April of 2016. Since then the Stevens Point Forestry Department has found scattered infested trees throughout the entire city.

This time of year is easier to find EAB infested trees.  February and March are good times to look for woodpecker damage to ash trees (known as “flecking”), and potentially find new EAB infestations or expansions of known infestations. Winter scouting has allowed us to detect ash mortality from EAB in unexpected places.

If residents have any desire to save ash trees on their property, they must act now.  Residents which have an ash tree smaller than twelve inches in diameter can successfully treat their own tree with products bought at home and garden centers.  Products such as Ortho Bug B Gone Year Long Tree and Shrub Insect Control or Bayer Advanced Tree and Shrub Protection are examples of insecticides labeled to control EAB.  The active ingredient is imidicloprid.  Residents are encouraged to follow the directions.  A demonstration video of using one of these products can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLEVxteP7OQ.

Residents which have an ash tree larger than twelve inches in diameter should contact an arborist to have their ash tree treated.  There are other insecticides that are effective to protect larger ash trees which require special training and certification to apply.  It is advised to get a couple estimates.

The City of Stevens Point is scheduled to treat 550 city owned ash street trees (typically between the street and sidewalk).  There are around 100 additional city owned ash street trees which will be removed this year.  Ash trees in our parks are scheduled to be removed in the next two years. There are about 225 ash park trees.  All city owned ash trees which are removed are scheduled for replacement.

Ash trees left untreated in the City will be infested to some degree within five years, and will begin to die off in large numbers within seven years.

For more information regarding EAB, please see our website at Stevenspoint.com/eab.